Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Many of you remember the tragedy at Columbine High School a few years ago. If you know anything of the shooting then you have probably heard of Rachel Scott.
Rachel Scott was a student at Columbine the day that 2 students opened fire in the school. One gunman asked her if she still believed in God. She looked him in the eye and said yes, she till believed. He asked her why, but didn't let her answer before killing her.
This story alone brought inspiration to many people. To know that a high school teenager was willing to own her God even in the face of death is amazing. However, if you were to read her journal you would be even more amazed at what God was doing in the life of this young lady.
"I lost all my friends at school. Now that I've begun to 'walk my talk,' they make fun of me." Rachel's journal entries showed her disappointment that the friends she was trying to show Christ's love turned away from her. But she didn't give in.
"I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend, Jesus, then that's fine with me. I always knew being a Christian means having enemies, but I never thought that my 'friends' were going to be those enemies."
I want you to think about those words: "If my friends have to become my enemies..." Do you understand the conviction it takes for someone in High School to make that kind of statement? I'm already praying that type of conviction into my own child cause I want her to own Jesus above everything else. If it means losing friends, popularity, or the attention of others. Above all else I want her to understand that letting our light shine before men is so much better than being accepted by the world. Here's the crazy part: we are never accepted by the world. Jesus told his followers that they would be rejected by the world just as He was. He even went on to say that we should not be surprised when it happens.
This is why I will never understand those who shape their convictions around being accepted. It doesn't work. The world needs a light in the darkness. Are we going to be that light?
Exactly one year before her death, Rachel Scott penned these words: "I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything, I will."
What about you?
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