Fitting In

I can't even count the times I've tried to fit into a crowd by wearing something borderline of immodest...you know, maybe a slightly-too-tight shirt, or shorts that just went a little too high, nothing that shocking--just enough to sort of fit in. Or try to.

Have you ever done something like that? Probably. We're all sinful, and I know at least I have tried to look a little less...well, Christian. Passing up skirts, not because they're impractical for the occasion, but because no one else will be wearing a skirt is an example of what I do. And it's just so I don't look different.

Do you see anything wrong with that?

Basically, trying to look less Christian is telling people that you're ashamed of being a Christian. You're ashamed of Christ, and you're trying to hide the fact that you believe in Him. Does that sound...wrong?

Just think about it. We're ashamed to show, even just by the way we dress, that we love and believe in the Savior who humbled Himself, even to the point of dying on the cross, for us! Even if we do something awful, Christ still loves us. He was perfect, and we're ashamed of Him?! Something's wrong.

Not only is it awful to be ashamed that you're a Christian (as shown by the paragraph above) it's...useless. If we're true, Bible-believing, sound Christians, nothing is going to make us blend in. We'll be set apart by the way we act, talk, and react to others. So what's the use of trying to blend in then, if we can't? We'll always be different, and we should be proud of that!

Peter is a good example, you know, his denial of Christ. If you read the passage in the Bible, it shows that Peter stands out simply because of his accent! And yet, he tries to deny that he's a disciple...even going to the point of cursing.

When I first thought of that, my first reaction was, "Well, I'm not as awful as Peter; I don't even curse!" But am I doing something like that by trying to blend in to non-Christians?

Yes.

So I don't have any excuse, either.

And yet, Jesus still loved Peter!

Isn't that totally awesome!!

Here Peter was, denying (three times) the person who was at the same time taking Peter's sin upon Himself, and Jesus still forgave him! Peter became a prominent leader of the church later on.

Peter denied Jesus three times, and I already said earlier that I can't even count the times I've denied Him!

So then, I probably shouldn't say that I'm better than Peter, right?

Right.

And there you have it. Next time I'm about to dress like the crowd, I should remember that Jesus wasn't ashamed of me. And therefore, I shouldn't be ashamed of Him.

In Christ,

Princess Izori