when "everyone" else does... and you don't...
It's really not a big deal. At least, I don't think that it is. And I know that it's kind of rare, maybe even kind of weird. But some things in life I simply won't compromise because I just the benefit of doing so.
I made the decision, somewhere along the way, that I wouldn't drink alcohol. I don't ever remember there being a defining moment where I developed this conviction, but I didn't grow up watching my parents drink, so it really wasn't ever a thought that crossed my mind. I wasn't tempted to drink, and since I'm a "rule follower," I knew that drinking before the age of 21 was out of the picture. That would be illegal, and "rule followers" can't bend the rules. We like the rules. Plus, I would be breaking the law (even if I didn't get caught), and I'd have to carry around a guilty conscious for doing that the rest of my life. If you know me, a little guilt goes a long way, and so that made it easy for me. I was "underage" and that was a good enough excuse.
I remember when I turned 21, and people would eagerly ask me how I was going to celebrate my birthday. There was this expectation that I was going to "live it up," yet I still had no desire to drink. Weird, I guess, but then again I wasn't sure why I needed to. And so I celebrated my 21 birthday like every other birthday I had ever had... cake, no alcohol, and it was fine. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything or that I was short-changing myself. But with each year I began to feel more and more outnumbered, and I began to feel ashamed about my conviction not to drink.
People would say things like, "It's not a sin." I never said it was. Or, they'd say, "Jesus turned water into wine," to which I'd smartly reply, "But it never says he drank it." And all of the sudden it was like this strange barrier that made everyone feel uncomfortable. I felt like I had to explain myself, and yet trying to do so made it even more awkward. After all, no one questioned my choice to not drink Dr. Pepper. And why did it matter what I choose to, or not to, consume anyway? But it seemed to me like "everyone" else was doing it and I was the odd man out.
I've traveled like crazy the past 4 weeks, and if you're familiar with the business world, you know that alcohol plays a significant role in business social settings. I was at a conference, walking back from a dinner with a group of people, and they said, "Let's head down to the bars and grab a drink." I politely turned down the offer on the pretense that I was tired and ready to head back to my room. Another woman in the group spoke up and said the same thing, and after some more prodding we finally broke away from the group and walked back to the hotel. She said, "I didn't really want to go. I don't drink." I said, "Me either." And I think in that moment we both wanted to hug one another. She let out a sigh of relief, and she said, "It's so nice to meet someone with similar convictions. I haven't met many people who feel the same way I do. I know God crossed our paths!" And I agreed. It was nice to have a friend in the boat, so to speak. Someone who didn't think I was weird or strange or too tightly strung. Because it's not always easy to live out your convictions, but it most definitely helps when you know you're not alone.
And I was reminded of that this week. We all have different convictions. God has placed certain things on our hearts for a reason, and our job is to obey. Of course, that can be easier said than done, but if we truly believe that God knows what's best for us, and if we want to live a life that is pleasing to Him, then that means sticking to our convictions, not compromising them. Because the Lord didn't call us to a life of ease, of comfort, of giving into our flesh. He called us to a life of sacrifice. That might mean big stuff, that might mean small stuff. Either way, following Jesus means we die to ourselves, we give things up, and sometimes those things might make us feel uncomfortable. But that's okay. If we are living our lives for the Lord, it doesn't matter. We don't have any explaining to do. He knows our hearts, He sees our intentions, and He honors and appreciates obedience. So whatever it is that He has convicted you of... whatever... then live it out. Stick to it. Don't be concerned about what everyone else is or isn't doing. Do what He asks you to do. Live in the manner He has called you to. Because you're not alone. You're not the only one. And even if you are, living for Jesus is worth it.
"But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." - Romans 14:23
I made the decision, somewhere along the way, that I wouldn't drink alcohol. I don't ever remember there being a defining moment where I developed this conviction, but I didn't grow up watching my parents drink, so it really wasn't ever a thought that crossed my mind. I wasn't tempted to drink, and since I'm a "rule follower," I knew that drinking before the age of 21 was out of the picture. That would be illegal, and "rule followers" can't bend the rules. We like the rules. Plus, I would be breaking the law (even if I didn't get caught), and I'd have to carry around a guilty conscious for doing that the rest of my life. If you know me, a little guilt goes a long way, and so that made it easy for me. I was "underage" and that was a good enough excuse.
I remember when I turned 21, and people would eagerly ask me how I was going to celebrate my birthday. There was this expectation that I was going to "live it up," yet I still had no desire to drink. Weird, I guess, but then again I wasn't sure why I needed to. And so I celebrated my 21 birthday like every other birthday I had ever had... cake, no alcohol, and it was fine. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything or that I was short-changing myself. But with each year I began to feel more and more outnumbered, and I began to feel ashamed about my conviction not to drink.
People would say things like, "It's not a sin." I never said it was. Or, they'd say, "Jesus turned water into wine," to which I'd smartly reply, "But it never says he drank it." And all of the sudden it was like this strange barrier that made everyone feel uncomfortable. I felt like I had to explain myself, and yet trying to do so made it even more awkward. After all, no one questioned my choice to not drink Dr. Pepper. And why did it matter what I choose to, or not to, consume anyway? But it seemed to me like "everyone" else was doing it and I was the odd man out.
I've traveled like crazy the past 4 weeks, and if you're familiar with the business world, you know that alcohol plays a significant role in business social settings. I was at a conference, walking back from a dinner with a group of people, and they said, "Let's head down to the bars and grab a drink." I politely turned down the offer on the pretense that I was tired and ready to head back to my room. Another woman in the group spoke up and said the same thing, and after some more prodding we finally broke away from the group and walked back to the hotel. She said, "I didn't really want to go. I don't drink." I said, "Me either." And I think in that moment we both wanted to hug one another. She let out a sigh of relief, and she said, "It's so nice to meet someone with similar convictions. I haven't met many people who feel the same way I do. I know God crossed our paths!" And I agreed. It was nice to have a friend in the boat, so to speak. Someone who didn't think I was weird or strange or too tightly strung. Because it's not always easy to live out your convictions, but it most definitely helps when you know you're not alone.
And I was reminded of that this week. We all have different convictions. God has placed certain things on our hearts for a reason, and our job is to obey. Of course, that can be easier said than done, but if we truly believe that God knows what's best for us, and if we want to live a life that is pleasing to Him, then that means sticking to our convictions, not compromising them. Because the Lord didn't call us to a life of ease, of comfort, of giving into our flesh. He called us to a life of sacrifice. That might mean big stuff, that might mean small stuff. Either way, following Jesus means we die to ourselves, we give things up, and sometimes those things might make us feel uncomfortable. But that's okay. If we are living our lives for the Lord, it doesn't matter. We don't have any explaining to do. He knows our hearts, He sees our intentions, and He honors and appreciates obedience. So whatever it is that He has convicted you of... whatever... then live it out. Stick to it. Don't be concerned about what everyone else is or isn't doing. Do what He asks you to do. Live in the manner He has called you to. Because you're not alone. You're not the only one. And even if you are, living for Jesus is worth it.
"But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." - Romans 14:23
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