aRe YoU wIlLInG tO bE tHe OuTcAsT tO eNsUrE tHe SyMbOl Of HoPe WiLl AlWaYs Be tHeRe?

A wise person once told me to not be like her but to be myself. I was kind of taken back when she said that, but now that I think about it... I was trying to be like her.

I was always the outcast. Doing things so differently. Thinking differently. Never was I on the same page as another person. Living by the ways of human ideologies and philosophy. I wasn't afraid to be different, standing strong in what I trusted and believed. But I lost all that for a little while, because I was trying to be something that I had no business being. I was trying the bad ass act, one who just went through life living by no rules. Doing what I wanted, when I wanted to, because I could. Now that I think about it, that's not me. I personally can't live like that, because I know the truth and I know the hope that still lives.

People say Christians, are just people who live religiously. Who read their bibles, pray, and talk to people about Jesus. Yes that's all good and true, but there's more to it then that. It's a relationship with the Creator of the universe, and His Son who was sent to die so that we may be saved by our faith.

Being a Christian is more then a title, it's a lifestyle. A lot of people try to live it as a title. I admit, I was one of those people. Who just took it as a title, and nothing more. Went to church, read a few scriptures here and there; and called it a day. But I know that there's more to being a Christian then it's name.You can't be a punk when carrying this title. You have to know that you'll get attacked by so many different people, and the enemy. So many people will oppose your views, because it's something they aren't used to hearing. The enemy wants to destroy me and those who have a heart after God's truth. He doesn't want to see the righteous prevail, he want's to see them fall. I trust and believe that. After watching the Dark Knight, with the church fam bam tonight, it all came into perspective. Deep stuff in that film, that I didn't realize watching the first time.

Anyways...This is a lifestyle I plan on living from here on out. I don't care what people think about me, I could care less. In the end I'm not trying to please them or anyone else. I'm trying to please God, cause in the end when it's all said and done I'm going to be the one to face Him. Giving Him an account on what I did with my faith in His Son.

Grant it, I will make mistakes. I'm not perfect, and perfection is something I'm not striving for. Righteousness is what I'm looking towards. Pleasing God in every aspect of my life. When I make a mistake, I will ask for forgiveness, get up, and make better choices. I won't allow myself to sit in self-pity. I plan on enduring the pain that I will face, and to persevere through the struggles and issues that I have.

God isn't a band-aid to my issues, but a helper to fix them. I just need to have faith, and strive to be the best I can be in Him. So my answer is yes, I am willing to be an outcast in order to ensure that the symbol of hope still lives. That's what people need now in this world. We need HOPE.