One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a Christian came at the age of 10. This lesson came in the wake of the Columbine High School shooting. I vividly remember sitting on the recliner with my mom and hearing on the news that one girl, Rachel Joy Scott, was asked if she believed in God and when she acknowledged that she did, she was shot. I remember looking at my mom in shock and telling her that I would just lie. That is the moment that she told me that if I truly believed in God, I couldn’t lie because if I denied Jesus before others, He would deny me before His Father.
It has been 21 years since that shooting and I still remember that lesson. I remember that lesson because it was realizing that by following Jesus, that meant that I would equally have to be willing to lay my life down for Him, just as He did for me. For some, that is a difficult pill to swallow as you are being asked to sacrifice everything in the name of your faith. For others, there is an acceptance and willingness to die for what you believe in. Being a Christian may be easy but being a Jesus follower is not. We have to live our lives according to His will instead of our own.
I watched “I’m Not Ashamed” which is a movie about her based on her journals and eyewitness accounts. My heart breaks for this girl who had her life tragically taken before it truly had a chance to begin. However, there is a beautiful piece in this as she continues to say she wants to be a light to the world and wanting to change it. She gave up her life in acknowledging her faith and in doing so, her story has become that light, tragic but true. This young girl spoke of compassion, forgiveness and proclaiming your faith showed others what it truly means. A young girl who wanted to change the world has letters arrive to her family on how her life changed theirs.
I will never forget that lesson of standing firm in your faith and not being afraid to proclaim it. This is an important lesson that we all must face.
He died for you. Are you willing to die for Him?
Matthew 10:33
“But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”
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