1.29.2013

Would you?

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At my school, being a Christian is normal...being a Christian is expected. Sure, it's still a college campus and we have a vast amount of college students who believe different things but, for the majority, the Christian culture at college is overwhelmingly 'popular' and 'cool'.

Cool? I've heard many people talk about this subject. I've just been thinking about it recently. There are so many types of Christians...and so many ways to get caught up in the 'coolness' of Jesus or the world we like to call "Christian".

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." - Matthew 5:11
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."- Matthew 24:9

"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved ." - Matthew 10:22


From my standpoint, it's easy to see this Christian culture.
The video about all the stuff that Christians say?
Scary and accurate.

But that's the thing. Christianity is easily viewed, not as a killing of yourself and your flesh day by day in order to serve the Lord...it becomes this cool kids group to which you subsribe.

CAN you read your bible (or 'the Word') without a mug of coffee or hot tea or a moleskine/leather bound journal for notes and thoughts?
(disclaimer: I say all of these things so I'm just as much questioning myself when I call these things out.)

Have we gotten to the point where being a Christian is now a social networking scheme?
As in, 'you don't need to join a sorority or fraternity, just get plugged in at a local church and start lovin' on people and they'll love back.'

This is why the collegiate Christian culture scares me. It's so very enticing and fun. And to be REAL...there's nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee with your morning devotion. There's nothing wrong with journaling your thoughts or the thoughts the Lord has put on your heart. There's nothing wrong with 'getting plugged in' and 'loving on people', but what can be wrong is the heart that is used when doing these things. Is it because of Jesus? Or is it because of the people that follow Jesus?

Questioning other people's sincerity in their love for God is very much so a stumbling block and a sin. We all do it. I know I do, and I struggle with it.
I want to love and accept people for who God has created them to be! I love being able to meet up with a friend and have a conversation and dwell on what the Lord is teaching me and how the Lord is stretching me...

But my main question is this:

 If all of a sudden, being a Christian wasn't cool...would you still follow and pursue Jesus?

If all of a sudden, the "Christian Culture" did not exist...would you still follow and pursue Jesus?

Would I still follow and pursue Jesus?



3 comments:

Tori Watson said...

these are great questions, my friend. and while i don't live in a college campus culture, i definitely know we're blessed/spoiled to live in a country where Christianity is welcomed & not physically challenged like in so many other countries. and i know there are so many ways i DO take it for granted. thank you for the reminder and challenge that it's not about pursuing Him so we look good enough or godly enough or COOL enough to others. but about pursuing Him because He's the very basis of our life. because in Him we live, breathe, move & have our very BEING.

love you. keep asking the tough questions. may we ALL keep stretching and growing and challenging our own hearts above all. <3

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thank you for the reminder friend. This summer, right before I came back to AU my dad asked me, "Are you a product of your environment?" A.k.a. when you don't have people pushing you toward's Christ, will you still follow him? It rocked my world. Thank you for the reminder. I love you sweet one.