That is why I am suffering as I
am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know
whom I believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have
entrusted to him for that day.
2
Timothy 1:12
Are
you embarrassed to admit that you’re a Christian? How do you feel when someone makes fun of
Christianity? Have you had a
well-meaning friend who tried to point out all the reasons your faith is
misguided? Most of us have times when
we’re tempted to pretend we don’t know Christ. (Remember the apostle
Peter?) It saves us from having to
answer some tough questions. It helps
us feel more accepted. And it works, for
the moment. But deep down we’re
miserable because we know we’ve let Christ down. At times like these, we must remind ourselves
of who it is that we serve.
Jesus
loved us enough to go to the cross for us.
He had every reason to turn his back on us as we mocked him and tortured
Him. Instead, He died for us. He proved His power when He overcame death
itself. History testifies that Jesus is
who said He was. Now that He has saved us, He has called us to be witnesses to
His power. He offers us the same
strength that raised Him from the dead.
We can be totally confident, as Paul was, that whatever we trust into
Christ’s hands will be safe.
Faith
is not about what you don’t know. Faith
is about what you know. In light of all
that you know about Christ and what He has done for you, you have no reason to
be intimidated. Don’t let friends,
classmates, teachers, professors, or anyone else steal your confidence. You probably know far more about truth than
they do. When you faith is shaky or when
you’re afraid to stand up for your faith, get closer to Jesus. Let Him assure you that He is everything the
Bible says He is.
