The title says it all. Here I am, sitting in America with Bibles, devotionals, television programs, churches, handwritten journals, and more resources for practicing and deepening my faith, when across the world people are being killed for pursuing the same religious beliefs. Reading the story of how those involved in the underground churches are being put to death is a sober reminder of how fortunate and blessed I am to live in a place where my freedom to participate in Christianity is not only allowed, but encouraged.
I walk across my college campus to see flyers and advertisements for Christian organizations. I have access to a Facebook page specifically for my small group. I can write and post this blog without any fears of being physically threatened. Those are all experiences I took for granted, until a story of a different situation was placed on my radar. Sure, every now and then I sit and think about how fortunate I am, but it basically takes something drastic, like this story about those in North Korea, to make me truly appreciate the freedom I have.
A lot of times, I've been scared to take the minuscule risk of going to church by myself or attending a church event without a friend by my side. It doesn't make sense-- why am I worrying over mere introvert-related issues of feeling socially uncomfortable when there are people who literally die to have the experience in other parts of the world? Yet the more I think and read about this huge difference in freedom, the more I realize I'm never going to have all the answers.
I'm not going to know why I was born here and why those people were born there. I'm probably going to keep having those occasional, uncalled-for feelings of anxiety, even though my situation gives me plenty of freedom to have comfort in practicing my religion. Those are concerns that do not sit well, but regardless, they exist. I just have to keep faith that God is going to use all of us, no matter where we live or what struggles we have, to help others and to forward His kingdom.
It's an uncomfortable truth, but is necessary for a Christian to accept in order to pursue a walk with God. Realizing not everyone is in the same situation, yet we are all a part of His plan to forward the kingdom, is a difficult pill to swallow. And as Mary Poppins said in her catchy song, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down; in this case, that spoonful of sugar is a full dose of scripture:
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1
I read an article a few days ago about the power of memorizing verses to refer to in times of need, doubt, and teaching. Hebrews 11:1 is going onto my list of verses to memorize because it is the perfect response to the big "Why...?" questions. "Why am I so fortunate when others are not?", "Why do my worries seem so big when they are really so small?", and "Why do people have to experience suffering?" can all be answered with the powerful words of God. Faith answers those questions because Christ cares and is making all work for good, even when we cannot see how everything fits together in life.
Accepting the uncomfortable truth of not having answers comes down to a basic answer-- faith. That answer is the core of Christianity and can provide so much comfort, strength, and assurance in a walk with God. We might not have all the answers, but God says we can have confidence in Him. I pray that all of you can take a piece of confidence with you, wherever in the world your walk with God may lead.
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