We must endure...

"We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us."
-Col 1:11-12

Nobody ever told me that being a Christian meant wearing a target on my back. In fact, I always thought that NOT being a Christian would cause people to speak out against me or judge me unfairly. But the truth is, that the more I reveal to those around me about my faith and my desire to follow Christ, the more I find people either shying away from the subject in an attempt to avoid the "G-word," or I find them instantly on the defensive as if I'm going to condemn them to an eternity of fire. Wow. Seriously people? Jesus is not the swine flu. YOU have to choose to "catch" Him. YOU have accept your own salvation. And I will never attempt to force anyone to believe in Him. I am happy to encourage seekers, I will answer any questions to the best of my ability, but I will not jump on your back, put you in a choke hold and make you say "savior." I cannot tell you how sad it is to me that, when I wear my "Christian" apparel, people approach me with such caution, looking around like Satan's gonna pop out of nowhere, and whisper - yes, whisper, "so do you go to church around here?" What HAS this world come to? And how can we change it back?

So why the Colossian's reference, you might ask? Well, those two verses are about Christian endurance. I preface endurance with the term Christian because, unlike those who suffer through each trial - those who grit their teeth, lower their heads and push through this life - we, as children of God, should be striding purposefully with joy, thankful that each trial offers us the opportunity to say "thank you, Abba, for letting me show you how much I love you." In a world that flinches at the sound of God's name, we must remain steady in our faith and love and continue to pursue the seekers and the yearners for His Kingdom.

Abba, Father, I pray that, as society asks me to stifle my prayers and my worship, You give me the strength and grace to continue to shine your light in this world. I pray that You help me to keep Christianity out of the closet and in the world so that You can use us fully. Let me bring one more sheep into the fold, Lord, and let me remain joyful and dedicated to your holy purpose until I succeed. Lord, let me endure 'til I find one more. And then let me do it again. I ask all this in the name of He who reigns, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.