Ok i've recently had a bit of an identity crisis. I was feeling upset because I felt rejected by a few of my friends who I met from my old Christian group. I know I ought to move on, but I was still hurt and feeling left out by something that happened. I spoke to my mother, and she said oh you know those Christian people can be real weird. they aren't normal. I said, I am not sure this has to do with them being Christian. Although I must say I did sort of expect something from the fact that they were Christian. I expected to not to be hurt.
She said these born-again people are just strange. I told my mother, but, I'm a Christian. She said, no you're not like them. Aren't you in that group just because you wanted to meet people?
I was a little shocked and offended - why on earth would I join a Religious-themed group just to meet people. I joined the group because I was a BORN-AGAIN Christian. But i found myself feeling a bit embarrassed to tell her that. perhaps it was because she had just got done saying born agains are weirdos.
But I was offended that she would think I was insincere in my reasons for joining that group, about why I spent so much of my time with these people and why I started going to church. I suddenly felt this feeling of sadness and emptiness. Like something that was very important to me, my faith, was dismissed. And also of embarrassment - that my mother would think i'm a "weirdo" too, since I'd identify myself as born-again. I felt almost as if I had to deny that I was born-again to her, and it just felt wrong, as if I was doing something shameful. Have you guys ever felt that way? like you felt for a moment almost ashamed? like you had to hide your faith / status as a born again Christian?
Luckily that feeling only lasted for a moment. After I thought about it, i thought - my mother does not define who i am and she does not get to declare who I am and what I am. And she doesn't know my true faith and doesn't know what is going on inside my head. I decided to live in a godly way and follow Christ - and it was almost as if this whole interaction was testing that. But I was still feeling a little weird that she thought I only joined the group to meet people. It seems like a bizarre thing for me to do. Of all the groups on campus to choose, I picked the religious one?! That just makes no sense considering I used to be a pretty outspoken atheist. Why on earth would I choose a Christian group to meet people, if I didn't truly become a born-again Christian?
Then I had a breakthrough of sorts: Doesn't the Bible say that we will be persecuted for our faith? And we'll be rejected? Can anybody find any of these passages off the top of their head?
In the end I even sort of felt better about my initial friendship dilemma. I felt rejected, but I sort of felt calm about it, because I know that Christ was rejected too and in a far worse way than I am by my friends.
What started as me feeling hurt and rejected turned around and makes me feel at peace, enlightened and calm.
I'm sorry if this was poorly written and makes no sense, but does anybody have any similar experiences? or can perhaps add anything to what i've said? Does what I said make sense?
She said these born-again people are just strange. I told my mother, but, I'm a Christian. She said, no you're not like them. Aren't you in that group just because you wanted to meet people?
I was a little shocked and offended - why on earth would I join a Religious-themed group just to meet people. I joined the group because I was a BORN-AGAIN Christian. But i found myself feeling a bit embarrassed to tell her that. perhaps it was because she had just got done saying born agains are weirdos.
But I was offended that she would think I was insincere in my reasons for joining that group, about why I spent so much of my time with these people and why I started going to church. I suddenly felt this feeling of sadness and emptiness. Like something that was very important to me, my faith, was dismissed. And also of embarrassment - that my mother would think i'm a "weirdo" too, since I'd identify myself as born-again. I felt almost as if I had to deny that I was born-again to her, and it just felt wrong, as if I was doing something shameful. Have you guys ever felt that way? like you felt for a moment almost ashamed? like you had to hide your faith / status as a born again Christian?
Luckily that feeling only lasted for a moment. After I thought about it, i thought - my mother does not define who i am and she does not get to declare who I am and what I am. And she doesn't know my true faith and doesn't know what is going on inside my head. I decided to live in a godly way and follow Christ - and it was almost as if this whole interaction was testing that. But I was still feeling a little weird that she thought I only joined the group to meet people. It seems like a bizarre thing for me to do. Of all the groups on campus to choose, I picked the religious one?! That just makes no sense considering I used to be a pretty outspoken atheist. Why on earth would I choose a Christian group to meet people, if I didn't truly become a born-again Christian?
Then I had a breakthrough of sorts: Doesn't the Bible say that we will be persecuted for our faith? And we'll be rejected? Can anybody find any of these passages off the top of their head?
In the end I even sort of felt better about my initial friendship dilemma. I felt rejected, but I sort of felt calm about it, because I know that Christ was rejected too and in a far worse way than I am by my friends.
What started as me feeling hurt and rejected turned around and makes me feel at peace, enlightened and calm.
I'm sorry if this was poorly written and makes no sense, but does anybody have any similar experiences? or can perhaps add anything to what i've said? Does what I said make sense?