On the Battle Ground

In my past two years of high school (thus making me a Junior), I’ve encountered a daily battle with myself as well as others.

Not actual fighting, but battling for our Lord and Savior. Christian speaker Dave Overholt would call me an obnoxious Christian which, to me, is a good thing. I’m very much into my faith, especially in school.

I have fun making people think by bringing our Lord into public schools.

Like most kids in Freshman year, I was quiet. That all changed my Sophomore year after spending a week in a Bible conference over the summer. I went in preaching the Lord’s name any chance I could.

I would tell anyone that would listen. I wore Christ Apparel to school as often as I could to get the message across. And it did… you’d be surprised how many people are anti-Christ in my high school. But you’d also be amazed at how many are believers there are as well. I was named God Girl and Christ Chick. That only further excited me.

I lead a daily battle and argument with a guy named Kevin in my biology class.

His theory on the Lord was, that when he needed the Lord most, the Lord had turned his back on him and allowed Kevin’s father to die.

Those are always the hardest battles to fight. No one knows why the Lord takes people from us.

My theory always was that it was a test of faith, to see if we knew that the Lord would give us the strength to get through the pain and know that the person would live in Heaven…he didn’t seem to want to hear it. He tried to argue with me that there was no God. Well, needless to say, considering I’m a very argumentative person (if you give me something to argue about that I believe in, there’s really no way of shutting me up), I took everything I knew and threw it out on the table so to say. Everything he said against the Lord I countered. He tried his best, and said, “Well you can’t make me worship him. You can never make me.”

That I had to agree. My only reply was, “I know I can’t. I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. No one can. If you’re to believe in the Lord, it’s gotta be something you want. You can worship a cat, you can worship your computer. They’re material things and that’s it. But let me tell you this… your father, I remember him as a very very strong Catholic. He was so involved in the Church. When he died, the church opened its arms to you. Because they saw the good in your father as well as in you. And YOU turned your back on them. Maybe it’s not God that turned his back on you. Maybe it’s because you turned your back on him.” At that, I left the room.

The beginning of this year, he approached me saying his family was once again attending church.

He told me about how when they walked into the church, everyone turned in surprise to see them, but they were immediately welcomed in as if they had never left. It was a battle. And the Lord won. I’m not saying everyone is gonna have someone like that to battle with. And it’s not exactly the smartest thing to do either. I could have gotten myself in a lot of trouble. But being the way I am, I acted first and then thought afterward. But the Lord looked out for me.

There are a lot of kids I go to school with, who are what I call Closet Believers.

They believe and speak of the Lord on Sundays and in Youth Groups, or in a Summer Camp. But when they go home…or to school… they’re totally different. They won’t talk of the Lord. If for some reason the Bible or God comes up in a class discussion (you’d be surprised how often it happens), they pretend like it’s nothing.

There are a lot of kids I go to school with, who are what I call Closet Believers.

That’s my major problem with people. If you’re gonna do something, do it wholeheartedly.

It’s like you’re ashamed to be a believer. The Lord was never afraid to proclaim His word. Don’t be like Peter, don’t walk on water, stop believing, and start to sink. The Lord will help you, but don’t be ashamed of the Lord, he is never ashamed to be your God.

It gets much easier. People soon realize that arguing or mocking you and God will get them nowhere. And I know, being a teenager is tough. You’re no longer a child, but you’re not quite an adult yet. It is hard. With the education of God not being allowed in public schools, and speaking the Lord’s name in a place that doesn’t want to hear, it is even harder. You get stronger and learn how much of a difference it makes. In the two past years, each year someone has accepted the Lord into their heart. One a year, is my goal. If I accomplish more, wonderful… if I don’t, I get that one person.

One of the greatest things a speaker has ever said to me was by Don Jones (or Jonsie to those who know of him), he spoke at a Bible camp a few years back and said, “If you’re looking for an easy religion, don’t choose Christianity.”

It struck me as odd, but when I thought about it, he was quite right. Christianity is always looked down upon. But it’s worthwhile. So fellow students, friends, and believers keep fighting your battles, keep praising our Lord, and most importantly, keep believing and looking to Him.

He will provide!