Not ashamed

Dear friends

When you have a new friend you are proud of, what will you do?
You will introduce them to all your other friends, will literally “show them off”, will post pictures of them and you together on your social media, will tell stories of what you have experienced with them, of where you went together and what they said…

Your life will be richer and more jolly and fulfilled because of them.

And most certainly, you will want them to be happier as well now that you are in their life, won’t you?
You will want to demonstrate to them that you care for them, that you are there when they need you, that you are willing to go above and beyond to support them if they need anything, and you will be your best and funniest and kindest and most accommodating self- won’t you?

At least this is what will happen if this new friend is someone you are proud of…

Why would we be proud to present someone as a new friend?

Well, there are first and foremost the worldly, carnal reasons and motives:

• this new friend is popular, famous, a celebrity perhaps?
  And we feel honored that they want to be our friend

• we might feel that this friendship, knowing this person, will impress others and perhaps open some doors for us
  
• we are genuinely happy about this person’s friendship for their sake and want to post tolkens of good times we had with them, regardless of if this person is famous or popular or not, just because we love them and because they are part of our lives

The last one is a worldly and carnal one, yes, but it is also a spiritual one, one that is not so much looking at the approval of the world or others in general, but is about our love for this person.

When I browse through other people’s social media, there are only a few where I find posts about GOD.

About what HE said in HIS word, about what HE prompted them to do or to spread or to say.

Why is that so?

I believe it is because many of us are ashamed of our friendship with GOD.

Because of what “others” might think or say….

I mean, it is not a popular thing nowadays to be a Christian, now, is it?

When you are asked on a Monday in the office how your weekend was and you would (if you dare!!!) share about how the sermon touched you and edified you and what your pastor was speaking about, you can be 100% certain that this person will never ask you about your weekend again!

On the other hand, if you would give stories of wild parties at clubs or would tell tales of what your tarot card reader said, how you tried a new vegan recipe or what happened at your yoga retreat weekend, everyone would be interested, they would literally gather around you and ask you all kinds of questions and you would be the “Life of the party” or of the office on that day.

It’s true, friends, I have been shunned for not sharing these “worldly accounts” of how my weekend went or of saying anything about church, even mentioning church is enough to put people off…

I don’t care though.

I am not looking for new friends in the office – at least not if they are unbelievers.

I can’t be a completely different person at work than I am in my private life, that would be lying for me. Whenever someone asks me what motivates me to do the job I do, I tell them that it is GOD and that I am doing it for HIM.

I also make no secret of being a Christian.

I wear crosses and bracelets with scripture, I even have a pair of earrings with scripture on them.

I officially go to the bible study they have every Wednesday in the prison where I work.

I officially don’t go to clubs or drinking events or don’t participate in conversation about worldly topics, I would be respectfully listening (as long as they don’t touch on too sensitive issues, in which case I will leave the room) and if I am asked, I will say that I don’t have a TV for instance, or that I don’t watch netflix or that I don’t go to clubs – as lovingly as I possibly can, but I will not lie.

The reactions in teams have been very different – like I said, I was shunned for it, in my last team, they loved me anyway… and in this team, I am hoping that I will still get along with everyone, as I am not willing to hide or compromise my faith, I am aware that I need to render some things to “Cesar” at some point, but I am hoping to keep this to a minimum.

And this is not only because I feel I owe it to GOD.

Yes, I owe HIM.

I owe HIM everything I have, everything I own and everything I AM today.

Without HIM, I am nothing, have nothing and can do nothing.

But it is also because I am proud of HIM.

HE is the BEST.

And I wouldn’t want to belong to any other GOD, regardless of how popular it is.

I am not a hero, friends, and I admire the martyrs of the bible and of our current times – I don’t know if I would have the courage to confess to my faith if I knew that I would be killed for it – like in the ancient times or like in some countries even today.

But on the other hand, what would I then live for and how would I live instead?

I have had the fake thrills the enemy offers.

They don’t do it for me.

I have been searching for the PEACE OF CHRIST all my life – until I got saved.

Yes, I have been tempted and also fallen and yes, there were situations where I didn’t confess JESUS as loudly and as boldly as I should have or could have, and I repented for it and I am learning and I am hoping to become more and more bold every day – others don’t mind, friends!
Look at people of islamic faith for instance, they are literally wearing their faith on their sleeves! And they are fighting to be allowed to adhere to their religious practices and rituals in the work place! And when they are fasting, they are telling everyone! And we are even afraid to admit that we are Christians sometimes – shame on us!!!

I have so much to be grateful for, so much GOD has done for me.

More than ANY other friend I have, more than anyone else I know – it would never even cross my mind to deny that I know someone who has been my friend – so why on earth should I do that with JESUS!

Would I not defend my friend when someone is talking about them in a disrespectful way?

So why should I not do it with JESUS?

Would I not introduce HIM to everyone I care about?

So why would I not do it with JESUS?

What if HE was ashamed of us??
Would say to us “depart from me, I never knew you”?
What if HE would delete our names from the book of life after a while, or after someone would say: “Why are you allowing this person in there?”
How would THAT make US feel?
What if HE wouldn’t keep HIS promise and let us go to hell????

HE will never deny us, will never be ashamed of us – no matter what we have done, no matter how many people hate us – HE will be loyal and stand by us and confess that we belong to HIM – so why wouldn’t we do the same?

I believe that if we want to grow in our walk with GOD and if we want to have a more intimate relationship with HIM, we must remember more and more that HE is a person and that HE wants to be treated as our friend – just like we want HIM to call us friends, want HIM to help us, to protect us, to do wonders for us and to provide us.

What do you think, my friend?
Do you have any instances to share with us where you openly confessed JESUS as your friend? Or where you failed to do so and then learned from it or repented afterwards?
We would love to hear from you in the comments!

I hope and pray that this will inspire, bless, heal and encourage you.
And that THE LORD will bless you abundantly in all areas of your life, that HE will keep you and shine HIS face upon you and bring you peace. In JESUS’ name I pray. AMEN.