Walking in conviction

I have a wonderful new friend who is from a strict Muslim country, and when discussing my plans for my day off today, I felt that I might have made him nervous when I said that my meeting with my priest has been rescheduled. I am certain he was a little set off, and even defensive, as he went on to talk about atheist philosophers and the doctrine of absurdism.

So after promptly wishing each other a good day I later followed up with him, asking if he was disturbed, and he said whatever makes me happy is good, and it made me consider the idea of happiness, and how our beliefs and values contribute to that.

It makes perfect sense to adopt the attitude, if it makes you happy, go for it. But nothing is without limit. When I trespass on someone's security, I am no longer in the "right" to do what makes me "happy". My faith and commitment to my religion is generally an autonomous one. I very rarely make my affiliation public and I most certainly don't try to convince others to see things "my" way, unless I am writing something of an evangelical nature, and in that regards people can simply choose to not click on my links.

I am so grateful to have the Bible as a measuring stick. I live in my head a lot of the time, or in a community of like-minded people. A hive mentality can be just as misconceiving as a lone mind, so I always go back to the Bible to ensure it connects, and then I know it's true.

Of course it hurts when my convictions are confronted. I was in the spirituality section last week buying a book by C.H. Spurgeon and I recalled the memes I see where "The Bible" is in the fictional section. But this is where we, as believers, must train. We must be ready for the onfalls, which will happen, and happen without warning.

To have faith is to have strength, it is to remain steadfast in the face of adversity and to remain connected to our values in the waves of weakheartedness. It is to show confidence under pressure, and will in fact be demonstrated though success of various forms in mundane existence.

This is a reason why, as I mentioned in yesterday's piece, it is so important for me to read the Bible from front to back, because I require the fine details for when I am met with doubt, from within or without. There are some horrific events in the Bible, as well as sublime stories that don't make much sense, so I am in no way baffled as to why, especially in today's cultural revolution and the hyper security in our social media climate, that more and more people are not only leaving their family traditions, but actively opposing them.

Still, there are a few of us who continue to study, and who actually take the actions too. Prayer, fasting, meditation....that which are crucial for any revelation that is required for continuity, but also for the spiritual discipline to have the agility to stand up to opposition. Opposition that I do believe is not usually made in malice, but in frustration.

I'm back to chatting with my new friend; we have found different topics - literature and dance. He talks about Russian and French novelists and I respond with Russian and French ballet companies :) There is no reason why we who walk with Christ need to compromise. Ever. If a timeout is needed, by all means, that is in all likelihood God's will to refuel us with new inspiration anyway. May the peace of the Lord be with you always.

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