Own It

When I think of owning something, I think of taking pride in it. Protecting it. Supporting it. Loving it. And above all, I think of it defining me.

Jesus wants us to own our faith. Yikes right? That means that as followers of Jesus, we need to take pride in it. Protect it. Support it. And allow it to define us. Not gonna lie, owning my faith is a huge struggle. I feel defined by my faith at school. But not in a good way. People see me as an easy target to tease for “waiting for marriage”, “wearing a purity ring”, “going to church”. On more than one occasion has someone turned to me and asked an insulting question towards Christ. They have made fun of him, treating him like he’s just a story. In situations like that, where I don’t have anyone to help back me up in the grace and love and gift that it LITERALLY right in front of these kids, I sit silently; hurt by their unbelief and the way they treat me. I talk to God in those moments, asking him to give me strength to not make a snarky or rude comment. Sometimes I try to speak love into them, but my heart seems more confident than my mouth.

I look at some believers and see how well they own their faith. I long for that feeling of possessiveness. I don’t have it all right. I’m still working on owning my faith and standing up for it and I’m sure many of you are too. Jesus knows we aren’t going to get it right on multiple occasions. He knows we are going to feel attacked and out numbered. Truth is, sin does out number us, by a long shot. But God holds fast to his promises. He will return and defeat sin. Until then, I’m going to strive to own my faith more confidently. Look for opportunities to share out Jesus’ sacrifice and love boldly. Are people always going to listen? Doubt it. Paul says in 2 Timothy, “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist.”

Simple. Don’t back down, don’t give up, and do what Jesus asked.