{ Faith in My Friday } 7 Secrets of a Christian Girl

Happy Friday!

It’s a snow day here in New England. I’m all cozied up to some coffee with Beans and the snow is swirling around in big beautiful gusts. Can’t complain about that!

For those of you new to Faith in My Friday, this is a series I started a few weeks ago to open up about my faith. To catch you up on what this is all about, you might want to check out these posts:

• Welcome to my Journey
• A Grateful Heart
• My Prayer Life

Something that keeps popping up in my head as I brainstorm about these posts is how people view Christians. Starting this series has forced me to become more aware of how readers will perceive my faith, God, Jesus, and religion in general. Not everyone who reads this is a Christian. Not everyone who reads my opinions will agree. There is a whole world out there outside of Christianity that I’m trying to be aware of.

My ultimate desire for this series is that people would be drawn to the Lord and see that He has done great work in my life. But what if you don’t see that? What if you judge me and think I’m a narrow-minded, Bible-thumping, judgemental, nut-job myself?

I thought it’d be a good idea to let you all in a few secrets about myself as a Christian girl. Maybe they’re not really secrets. But I hope these points will help dispel some of the myths surrounding Christianity and faith.

{ 7 Secrets of a Christian Girl }

1. I sin.

Surprise you? Unfortunately, one of the most common misconceptions about Christians is that they are somehow free of sin. Jesus – the ultimate sacrifice for sin – covers all my transgressions. But – because I am human, in the flesh, and flawed – I still sin.

I think this misconception comes from the fact that because Jesus does cover our sin (meaning, He literally came as a sacrifice for all the sin in the world so we wouldn’t have to pay for it), people believe that Christians must not have sin.

But the Bible says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – Romans 3:23

And “everyone” means everyone, even Christians. In other words: I am not perfect!

2. I need Grace.

Jesus is not a one-and-done kind of thing. Once you receive the gift of Christ, you don’t magically stop needing to receive it again. The gift of Jesus is that you can receive Him over and over again. I need Him over and over again to cover me in His grace. And because I will always sin, I will always need his Grace.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” – Psalm 68:19

3. I struggle.

Just like sin, I am also not free of the struggles, pain, and sorrow of life. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that my life is automatically made perfect. Trusting in God doesn’t mean that every prayer will be answered, that every thing will be without pain or suffering.

I have suffered a lot. I’ve seen Christians in my church and group of friends go through trials and suffering just like the rest of the world. Being a Christian isn’t about obtaining a perfect life, though. It’s about walking that imperfect life with someone who carries the burden for you, a God who knows your heart, loves you, and comforts you.

4. I don’t view things in terms of Christian & non-Christian.

Another bad rap that Christians get is judging everything as “Christian” or “non-Christian.” Christian books. Christian music. Christian friends.

Those things are all present in my life, but I don’t actually sit here and judge everything that comes my way. I have friends who are not Christians – and that’s perfectly okay. I might desire for them to know Christ, but I don’t think to myself, This person isn’t a Christian every time I’m with them.

I listen to plenty of music other than worship & praise music. I read things other than my Bible & Christian books. In other words, my life is not organized into limiting categories because of anything I believe or don’t believe.

5. I have a radically different view of the world.

This is a general statement, but I personally know that I see the world much differently than non-Christians. I see hope in times of despair. I put my hope into the fact that Jesus is coming to save the world, instead of panicking about the way things are.

I choose to be grounded in His peace. I work toward removing idols instead of feeding them. I keep my speech clean. I try not to complain. I don’t buy into everything that is advertised or becomes a fad. I see value in things that can’t be obtained from this world.

A favorite verse of mine that explains this is, Romans 12:2, which reads:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

Another way to look at this is from the NLT Bible’s version, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Yes, I choose to be different. That’s God’s plan for me.

6. I enjoy life.

Along with #4, I actually enjoy my life. My life is not limited or confined because I am a Christian. There are plenty of things that I do choose not to read, view, or take part in. But being a Christian does not mean that absolutely every aspect of my life becomes about Christian-only things.

I’ve read the Harry Potter series and loved it. I shop at Forever 21. I listen to the Black Eyed Peas. I go to bars with my friends. In other words…

7. I am just like you.

Really.

Before I met Jesus at age 20, I was just a lost little girl. Now that I know Him, my views may have changed and I may have grown. But I am still that lost little girl at times. I am still me – a sinner, a work in progress, a writer, a coffee-drinker, a chocolate lover. None of that has changed. 

Just because I am a Christian doesn’t mean I can’t relate to the world anymore. If anything, the hope of Christ has helped me see the world in a light that helps me relate to people even better than before.

Questions for you:

• What misconceptions do you believe or think people believe about Christians? 
• Is it snowing where you are today? Yay or nay?