Greetings, Fellow Christian!
I extend a warm “hello” to all my siblings in faith, and to tell you that you are amazing! I want to acknowledge the courage that each of you embodies in the way you faithfully follow Jesus in your life.
This blog post is a tribute to you, my fellow believers.
Here are Ten Reasons why Christians (yes, you too!) are Braver than they Realize.
Christians Stand Apart from the World
The Apostle John counsels the faithful in his first epistle:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;
1 John 2:15
What does he mean by “the world”? It refers to all that opposes God’s work. It encompasses everything that opts for sin over God’s Divine will.
Since God alone is good, everything that opposes Him is not.
At times, this includes us, as we resist God’s perfect goodness each time we choose sin. As Christians, we might falter hundreds of times daily, which underscores the significance of God’s gift of repentance. Repentance aligns us with God rather than against Him.
God’s love for us is unwavering, desiring only our well-being. He never abandons us to our sin but offers His grace in our struggles.
However, when we sin and resist repentance, we sever our connection with God. The world signifies all that disregards God and His ways.
Resisting the world’s allure is challenging, but leading a fulfilling life in God is rewarding. Kudos to you for your steadfastness!
Christians Manifest Their Faith Boldly
We’re not only distinct from the world but also visible within it.
There’s no concealing for Christians; we must embody our faith openly among both believers and non-believers.
Jesus instructs His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount:
You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
Our calling is to emulate Jesus, the world’s light. We aim to reflect His amazing radiance faithfully.
Feeling less than glorious? That’s expected. It’s not about our brilliance but about being transparent vessels for God’s light, directing others to Him.
Christians May Encounter Loneliness
Indeed, loneliness can be a part of our journey. The world often neglects God, and even within our congregations, worldly influences can intrude.
Feeling isolated in our quest for righteousness is not uncommon, especially when society indulges in fleeting pleasures.
Jesus tells His disciples:
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
Matthew 16:24-26
Our choices, guided by faith, may perplex even our closest allies. The world resists dissent, but we anticipate a greater promise:
The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.
1 John 2:15-17
Christians Choose the Arduous Path
Jesus advises:
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
He prepares us for a challenging journey, one less traveled yet deeply communal.
G.K. Chesterton eloquently speaks of tradition:
Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.
G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
In the communion of saints, we’re never truly alone, surrounded by the faithful, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Christians Defy Conventions
Popular culture often contradicts Jesus’ teachings. We must discern and follow His path, though it’s seldom easy.
Jesus teaches:
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Matthew 6:24
He warns against seeking admiration for piety:
And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.
Matthew 6:5
James reinforces this sentiment:
Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
As Christians, we are called to follow a better way.
Christians Embrace Universal Love
Unlike the world, which chooses whom to love, Christians extend love universally.
Jesus commands:
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Matthew 5:43-47
Our mandate is to act with love towards everyone, regardless of their actions or our feelings towards them.
How do we love, you may ask? Paul gives us a good barometer:
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
It takes great courage to imperfectly try for this kind of love, day in and day out. But we (and He) wouldn’t have it any other way.
Christians Exhibit Radical Generosity
While the world accumulates wealth for enjoyment, Christians are called to a different purpose with their resources. Our sinful nature may draw us to material wealth, yet God’s goodness inspires us to prioritize our love for Him and our neighbors above all else.
Jesus teaches us:
Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:30-31
This teaching diverges sharply from worldly advice on safeguarding possessions. Jesus further instructs:
…and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
Luke 5:40-42
God’s commandments aim to orient our hearts towards eternal treasures—love of God and neighbor—rather than transient material goods.
Jesus emphasizes:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 6:19-21
Christians Are Profoundly Unified
Jesus’ mission was to unite humanity in love, paving the way for harmonious coexistence in God’s forthcoming kingdom. The Apostle John conveys Jesus’ words:
I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:23
Following Jesus means embracing a unity with God and each other that mirrors the bond between Jesus and the Father—a radical departure from the world’s divisive nature.
The Apostle Paul illustrates this unity using the human body as a metaphor:
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit… If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13,26
Christians Are Pilgrims
The term “sojourner” signifies our status as temporary residents on earth, awaiting our true home in God’s kingdom. Like the Israelites in the desert or Abraham among the Canaanites, we engage with the world to share Jesus’ love, yet we remain distinct from it.
As the author to the letter to the Hebrews writes:
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:13-16
Our earthly security is fleeting, and it takes courage to live as pilgrims anticipating our eternal home.
Christians Do Not Prioritize Safety
Despite the Bible’s accounts of violence, Christians are not governed by fear. While natural apprehension is understandable—even Jesus experienced it—we do not let fear hinder our Christian duties. Our deepest concern is separation from God, not worldly dangers.
Jesus teaches:
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.
Matthew 5:38-39
Moreover, Jesus assures us of the blessings in enduring persecution:
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12
He counsels us not to worry excessively about material needs, but to seek God’s kingdom first:
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:25-26, 31-33
To let go of the heavy burden of worldly worries is a tough challenge. You, Christian are admirable in your effort!
Christians Engage with the Heavenly Host
Scripture introduces us to a realm filled with divine beings beyond our current perception. Christians trust in a reality yet to be fully unveiled, unlike the world, which relies solely on the senses.
John’s Revelation provides a glimpse into this transcendent domain:
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! … Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind… Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’
The Revelation to John 4:1-8
This vision conveys a divine reality far beyond human comprehension, hinting at a profound existence we partake in now and will fully experience hereafter.
What a goal for which to strive!
Congratulations on your striving.
Our Christian journey is driven by a singular desire and fear: to love the Lord supremely in all circumstances and to avoid missing even a moment of life united with Jesus.
You, Christian, possess a bravery beyond your awareness. I pray that God bless you and keep you throughout all the situations, joys, and struggles in your life, and that we will all be united through love in God forever and ever. Amen.
Praise be to God!