Defined By Faith
~Keep the Faith

Posted by Dionna Sanchez on October 18th, 2010 in Blog | 5 Comments

The pressure to conform– c’mon, you feel it too, don’t you? I’m not just talking about the pressures of trends and society. I’m talking about the pressures of those we live among and walk among. It’s hard to be different.

It’s especially hard to stand out when you feel that no one understands why you are the way you are – why you do what you do. But what if you feel two pressures in your life? One pressure from the “others” and one pressure from God? Who do you listen to?

God’s callings on our lives don’t always make sense. They aren’t always easy and comfortable, and most certainly they aren’t always accepted by those we love and live among. In fact, it can make others very uncomfortable.

God said “in this world you will have troubles…and many.” I don’t think He was just referring to a bad economy, illnesses, or crime (although those are certainly a part of the picture). I think He was also referring to relationships and people. In fact, I’d venture to say that sometimes our biggest stressors in life come from relational issues. They can put such undue weight on our shoulders.

No one can solve your relationship issues for you. We can’t convince someone else that what we are doing with our life is indeed what God wants. We can’t tell someone to back off or to support us, for we each have our own will and choices to make in life. So if you feel very strongly that without a doubt, God has called you to make certain choices and decisions in your life, you need to be willing to pay the price of possibly having damaged relationships. Sometimes it’s just the cost of the call. It’s never fun and it’s never easy. But sometimes there is a great toll to be paid in order to fight for God’s kingdom.

Keep the faith, if you find yourself in one of these situations. Satan likes to cause a lot of chaos and stress in the lives of believers who are willing to step forward; fighting as one of God’s warriors. There are many Christians out there, but not all of them are utilizing their heritage or God-given right to truly be on the front lines for the Lord. Whether “front lines” for you is being a missionary, selling your house so you can work as a social welfare worker, taking care of foster child after foster child, or sending all your paychecks to others who need them more… the front lines are different for everyone. Don’t let other people discourage you simply because they don’t understand.

Not everyone has the courage and the sensitivity to go against the grain in this life. Not everyone is intuitive enough to know when God is clearly speaking to them. If you are, you have received a special gift; regardless of who sees it. Hold it closely!