If only we were so BOLD

So many incredible things happened at training camp that I won’t even begin to try and tell all the stories. And that’s just training camp! I’m starting to realize that I’m probably going to have a story for every situation and every circumstance for the rest of my life. Hopefully people won’t get too sick of hearing me say, “When I was on the World Race…” every time I open my mouth haha!

 

Anyway, on to what’s weighing heavy on my heart. I’ve wanted to write about this for a few days but wanted to gather all of my thoughts first. 

 

We did an exercise during camp that was called “Underground Church.” The point was for us to understand what it’s like to be a Christian in a closed country where you could be arrested simply for having faith in God. I’ll tell you what… I don’t care if it was just an exercise because that woke us all up QUICK!

 

These people of God in other countries around the world are BOLD! They have to be, or else having faith wouldn’t be worth risking the safety of themselves and of their family. 

 

In countries that don’t have religious persecution (like the US), a culture of “lukewarm” has been created because if we don’t want to get up and go to church, we don’t have to! If we want to go on a mission trip, we can… but we don’t have to if it’s inconvenient. If we feel like praying or letting the Spirit guide us in what we do or how we act, great… but it’s not that big of a deal if we don’t because we can do whatever we want and not be judged by our neighbors or our government. 

 

Think about what’s it’s like to live where just admitting that you believe in Jesus can get you thrown in jail, though. There’s no such thing as “lukewarm” in these countries because if you’re not going to live absolutely on FIRE for Jesus and let His words run every aspect of your life, it’s not worth the risk. There’s no half-way for these people. They sell out for God every day and are constantly seeking His guidance. 

I’m not, in any way, saying that I wish the US harbored religious persecution. I’m simply giving my utmost respect and admiration for those people around the world who believe in Jesus, even when it’s so inconvenient that it’s dangerous. It’s very convicting to think that sometimes, all it takes for me to not pay attention to where God is taking me is a bad mood or a hungry stomach. 

 

I pray that you will stop and think about this… really think. We’ve been given a gift of life that was not meant to be kept on the DL (down-low). Do you actually use what the Bill of Rights grants us in freedom of religion?