The Sentiments of a Youth for Christ

What am I ready to hide/broadcast so that Christ will be seen in me?

[minuty]

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Dalai Lama (via minuty)

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

What the Sickly Seeks

I remember those days back when I was a younger YFC. I wasn’t exactly one of those inspiring ones or the ones that you could look up to. I was rather a struggling one---struggling with sins that I couldn’t shake off easily. Of course I’m still struggling now but the difference with now and back then was that I was blind. It’s difficult to struggle with your sins when you have no self-awareness. Despite that, I was thankful with the YFC leaders that surrounded me. No matter how much I enjoyed being deviant, I didn’t want to get stuck in that way and I wanted to get better so I was in dire need of guidance, someone to talk to and someone to look up to. I found that in my mentor and in the YFC heads in my area and how God used them to reach out to me. They probably got annoyed at my never-ending rants, shallow disposition and petty problems but the patience, time and love (sometimes in a form of tough love) that they showed helped me a lot.

I guess this is one thing that all of us should have first especially in being accountable to others: love. You couldn’t really protect something if you don’t learn to love it first. As a ‘deviating member’ of the community back then, I could say that all I really needed was the right kind of love. Like no matter how many times I repeatedly went back to my sins, I still felt God’s promise that I have been saved still. I was heeded and corrected with love during one-to-ones and felt empowered to run from the darkness and into the light. That was how I gripped more tightly to the quote: “This community is a home for the sick.” In a world where people get easily persecuted for being different, God provided me a home where you get loved no matter what. With that, I fell more deeply in love with God and the community that He provided me.

Today, things have definitely changed and I am not just a member anymore but rather got appointed to a chapter as well. Of course, when you’re a YFC leader (and a sister), it’s not just the members that you get worried about but also the papers that need to be done and submitted (reports, proposals, etc.). While those papers are important in keeping track with the activities, we can’t really carry those in heaven as proof that we have been doing well in this life and that we have been fulfilling the mission that God has given us. And they don’t really tell what’s really inside that hearts of those names written in the attendance sheets.

There are a lot of struggles currently going on in our chapter. It’s disheartening to not know where your members are and why they haven’t showed up during the scheduled households. Self-doubts and discouragements slowly creep in and begin to put out the fire in my passion but God speaks more loudly. And then I think about the fact you can’t give what you don’t have, and that maybe our members are not present because we’re not capable enough to receive them, and because we keep on worrying about the papers and how empty they are without the names and signatures. And maybe I should not worry about those papers’ emptiness but rather the emptiness inside me because lately, it has not been about love anymore.

Maybe that’s all we really should worry about. Love.

Have we filled our ‘love tank’ lately? Have we been giving off love to others lately?

You tell me.

    -A

Photo by Hulagway sa Kadalanan: https://web.facebook.com/hulagwaysadalan/?fref=ts

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

What it Means to be Cynical

When you get screwed over so many times, I guess one of the possibilities is that, over time, you become cynical. I am this type of person who doesn’t really know how to handle sadness or even my anger. At times, I just repress it and hope that it will all go away. In other times, I convince myself that maybe it’s better not feel anything anymore. Of course, that’s impossible because I’m only human and I ought to feel things. After that, I just push away anything good that comes because I developed this mindset that the good things will fall apart soon enough. I stopped trusting people then I tell myself that it’s easier to live life on your own.

“On your own.”

I guess it’s a very selfish word and that’s what I decided to be---selfish. To not to think of others anymore because even though you show them kindness, they just hurt you (maybe unknowingly); and to only think of yourself because ‘you have to love yourself and protect yourself from getting hurt’. When people eventually leave or hurt you, you say things like, “no surprise there” or “well, I’m used to it”. Then you start doing things that you think will make you happy even though it doesn’t make God draw a smile on His face. Then you start hurting people because you think it’s better that they’re the ones who are hurt instead of you.

Yes. That’s what I’ve become and honestly, I thought I was living my life in peace because I thought that I wasn’t hurt anymore. It was until our graduation retreat during a confession of sins with the priest that I’ve realized what I’ve truly become.

“You live your life around yourself…” the priest said.

It was like God was finally being frank to me because He just couldn’t take what I’ve become and He had to put an end to it.

I’m still really broken and I didn’t handle it well.

I hope that soon enough, with the grace of God, I’ll get healed and be able to love others truly again. Until then, I’ll start with thinking about others for a change.

  -A

Photo by Hulagway sa Kadalanan

https://www.facebook.com/hulagwaysadalan/?fref=ts

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

On Being Lost

When I first made this blog, I promised to myself that I am going to be honest in the things that I write here. I haven’t written anything here for a while now because I feel like I have nothing to write about. But to be honest, I have a lot of things to write about. They’re not just that very uplifting. So to be even more honest, read on.

 I am a little lost. Only a little because I know where to ‘go home’ and where I belong. I just drifted away for a while. I have been feeling this way for a few months now and I don’t seem to know what the reason is. Suddenly, everything feels like a routine. I sleep, pray, eat, go to class, do my homework, watch some TV shows, go to a meeting (if there’s any) then sleep and so on. Everything feels so boring and I’m starting to hate doing the things that I used to love. I only have one class every weekday and after my class, I’m back to my apparently boring life. I am a Linguistics and Literature major and all my classes lately have been literature subjects. Therefore, writing is an essential part of my degree. However, lately, I feel like I am running out of experiences to write about and everything feels like a cliché. Someone once said, “A writer is the sum of his or her experiences”.  I am not a professional writer but I’d like to have at least a source of energy to write about to be able to wear that graduation cap this upcoming March.

If you ask about my prayer life, it’s not lively either. I have also been isolating myself from my friends lately. I feel like I need some time with myself. But the times I’ve spent dealing with my thoughts and my feelings have been too much. I figured that maybe I miss my family so I went home. When I got home, my situation was still the same and I ended up escaping from having to deal with how I’ve been feeling and the reason behind it. I have lost interest in a lot of things, really. However, despite of all that, I could still conclude that I’m fine. If you ask me how I’m doing, I’d probably answer that I’m doing okay but I am bored.

I have been thinking that maybe I just need to talk to someone. But then I really don’t have anything to say. Yesterday was my birthday. My mom kept on asking me what I want to do and I often answered “Kamo” (Whatever you want). I just wanted to eat cake and finish my thesis.

In terms of my YFC service, I’m starting to lose my interest as well and I have been a bit discouraged too. However, I’m just a servant and servants ought to do what their master commands them. So despite of how empty I feel, I continue to work as God calls me. But then, I cannot seem to do it with excellence and heart.

Honestly, I’m okay with being lost although I don’t like it. It just means that something’s missing within me and I have to get lost to look for it. Or maybe I need to learn a new lesson and I have to get lost in order to learn it. Yes, I learn in that kind of way. A lot of times, I learn things the hard way.

I, do, know how to deal with this and what to do to make myself better again. It’s just that I still can’t do it. Having to deal with an inner problem means having to dig deep and deal with the things that I’ve been repressing. To me, that’s too much work and it’s gruesome too so doing it in the middle of making my thesis or finishing my school works would be a bad idea. I know myself pretty well and dealing with it at the wrong time could lead me to a depression again and it’s not really a perfect time to get depressed. Time will come that I’ll be capable of handling my inner demons but until then, I promise to stay still. That time will come soon enough. Besides, I, do, have a God who hasn’t failed me. Not even once. So I know that He’s with me on this.

  -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

Self-worth regained - Love Cloud

I hated myself. I hated myself so much that I self-inflict wounds. I even attempted to commit suicide because the world would be a better place without me and because I am better off dead. Self-pity was my number one hobby. I was a huge “emo” – as what people would call those who are overly emotional and always sad... Read More

This is the story of that very long journey that made me who I am today. 

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

“Send me, Lord, and I will go to the place you have prepared.”

These are some of the photos I took from the rewards of being in this community. Eight years in YFC has taught me that travelling is more fun with a bigger agenda---mission!

The YFC International Conference: Love Revolution in Surigao had just commenced with over 4,000 participants! I was part of the Documentation Team as a head writer and my teammates and the whole conference, itself, added up to my inspirations to do more and proclaim God’s love and greatness through this blog. 

In every place that we go to for our mission in Youth for Christ, there’s never just an ordinary experience. God reveals Himself to us anew in every mission trip, conference, etc. The side trips after each mission is a bonus reward! So, after the conference, we headed to Siargao Island (thus the photos above) and the place, I could say, is definitely rated-praise God! Indeed, God’s love is written all over the place with the white sand beaches, clear blue waters, rock pools and other wonders of nature. 

It’s amazing that through this community, God is able to take us into places where love resides not just in the people but also in what we see in our naked eyes reminding us of the fullness of our lives with Him. This summer, let’s not just limit to ourselves the love of God that we've experienced. May we spread out His greatness and unconditional love in any way we can be it in our families, friends, acquaintances, random people, in our chapters, sectors, or even beyond our borders! May we all have the spirit of the mission of being and bringing Christ wherever we are.

-A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

After a long journey, I wrapped up everything in this song. Praise God for His unconditional love and for the gift of chances and the gift of talents.

This is an original song that I wrote and sang myself. The credit on the music goes to Emjae Polinar.

LYRICS:

How will I ever be cynical about love

When each time I see You

I drown in Your open arms

How could You ever keep on holding my hand

Never minding my failures

 Pre-chorus:

Oh there’s a long list of them

And I bow my head in shame

Oh there’s a long list of them

But the debt has been paid

 Chorus:

I cry in awe of Your love

And I praise You more

And I’ll praise You most

I sing, overwhelmed by Your grace

And I stand here now

And I smile

Because I’m saved

Bridge: (4x)

All my life I’ve longed for love

All my life I’ve searched so hard

Jesus...

 (4x)

Now I see the God who tells me

I am worth dying for

(repeat chorus)

...because I’m saved

How will I ever be cynical about love,

When Jesus died for me

Unconditionally

 -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

He is God and I am Not

“Have faith. Trust me.”

I can always hear God telling me that every time I pray. Having faith, to tell you honestly, is a struggle for me and after experiencing so many disappointments in life, it’s hard to trust easily even in myself. It’s not that I don’t believe in God or something but because I am too much of a control freak and I get easily frustrated when things don’t go according to plan.

One thing that I am really concerned about is my future career and it’s been bothering me for a few months now. I am supposed to graduate from college this year but unfortunately, I still have a few lacking subjects and I am very thankful to God about that. If I would have graduated this year, I would have just ended up staring at a blank space because of my lack of planning. Until now, I still don’t know what to do with my life or what my future career plan is and that really frustrates me. It’s easier to plan things when you already know what you want. However, in my case, I am not sure of what I really want. I've only been giving my efforts and time in the YFC community for the past seven years and it’s overwhelming how much I've grown accustomed to how the community works. How about in the corporate world? Will I belong there?

I’ve been trying a lot of things lately for me to know where I really belong, what am I really good at and what is it that I’m really passionate about that’s outside the community.

“Never limit yourself.”

“You can be capable of many things.”

“Expand your horizons.”

Those were my self-affirming reminders. I am not afraid to try new things. I’m just afraid that in trying too hard, I might be a jack of all trades and a master of none. I have seriously considered being a journalist, a missionary, a mere writer/blogger (since writing is my forte) and a lawyer. I have broken down my choices into the top three things that could be for me. The first is being a journalist but as I keep on over-thinking and reflecting on it, journalism is a 24-hour job and I really want to have time for service too. The second is a simple writer/blogger but I am a very ambitious person and I really want something more than that. The third is being a lawyer considering that the college degree that I’m taking up now is very appropriate and an advantageous preparatory course for law. So since I’m already working on the first one and the second one of my three choices, I started working on the third one. I’d often tell myself that ambition is nothing unless you do something about it. So, I did something about it.

What I wanted to happen (control freak mode on) is to take some law subjects while finishing my current degree but, unfortunately, it’s not allowed in our school. So I got frustrated again and confused of where I really belong. I started over-thinking that what if law is not for me or what if this is God’s way of telling me that it’s a bad idea. I ended up reflecting as I rode a jeepney heading home and I kept on asking;

“Lord, where do I really belong? What am I really made for? What are really your plans for me?”

“Why are you trying so hard to find where you belong in this world? I have already told you that you don’t belong here. You belong with me. Everything that you do goes down to my glory. You are made for greater things, far greater than the things that you want or dream of. Just trust me. Have faith and remember that I am God.”

That’s as far as I could grasp of what God told me. It’s God’s way of telling me to have faith after all. To have faith is a difficult thing when you rely so much on facts and your very own statistics of what your future will be based on the things you’ve achieved and you’ve worked on. I’ve had many worries and I almost lost hope but God continued to surprise me and affirmed me that He is present and continually working on me.

Until now, I’m still not sure of my plans but I’m sure God has many and as far as I could remember, God has been really putting me to places where I could grow and help in His glory. Wherever He’d put me in the future, I’m sure it will be for His victory. After all, God doesn't put us in situations that we can’t handle right?

It’s not about me. It’s about Him.

  -A

(Photo by anonymous)

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

Unconditional and Victorious

“May you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.”

Ephesians 3:19

God’s love is way beyond measure, don’t you think? We keep on sinning and sinning and yet He never hesitates to forgive us and openly extend His arms for us. I've always thought of God’s love as weird and overwhelming. It’s weird because it works in so many levels and extends to all kinds of people in this world. It’s overwhelming because it’s unique and it fills us and completes us.

However, there are times that we tend to forget how great God’s love is. I, for one, always do. I don’t know about you but every time I do something terrible or I commit a sin, I tend to get scared and wait for my punishment. The thought that God is a punishing God keeps on circling my mind resulting in underestimating Him and His love for me. Sometimes, I’d get so caught up in my own problems and mishaps that I even forget that He is always there for me and that all I need is to say His name. Yes, God is a just God and He will do justice to the sinners but above all that, we should mind that, most of all, God is a loving and a merciful God and His love for us is unconditional.

With all the bad news that has emerged in the media today, God’s love remains to give us hope and remains to be an example that real love exists. God’s love never allowed me to get cynical with the concept of love.

Looking back at my journey in life and all the things that I’ve been through, I could say that God never failed me at all. Despite of how great of sinner I am, He never failed to love me and to save me and I’m sure He never failed with you too.

This season of lent, God reminds us how much he loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us. We are forgiven and we are worth dying for. All we have to do is recognize God’s victory in our lives and to let Him work in us. And all throughout our lives, as Youth for Christ, may we allow others to see and experience God’s love too and may we revolutionize His love to the world—unconditional and victorious.

  -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

How To Love

1 Cor. 13: 4-7

“Love is patient andkind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.”

Have you ever asked yourself why we need love so much? Or why many of us seek to be in a relationship with the opposite sex? According to theunboundedspirit.com, a man who did not or does not experience love may take various attitudes as a result. He may make desperate efforts to win affections. He may seek revenge upon the world.  Catholic author, Jason Evert, said that everyone wants love because we are made for love. That need in us is so deep that we would rather risk getting pregnant, committing sin or even be with the wrong person than live without love.

However, we should come to know that love is not only limited to being in relationships and to love doesn’t necessarily mean that we should be in a relationship with that someone. Sometimes, being in a relationship doesn’t entail love[a2] . So the question is, if we don’t need to be in a relationship with the person that we are attracted to, what, then, can we do?

 We Wait (“Love is patient and kind”)

 Good things come to those who wait. This line may be a cliché now but it has proved to be true most of the time. There are many benefits of waiting.

 ·         Through waiting, you have more time to get to know that person. (“Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable.”) Many relationships don’t last because once the true personality of a person comes out as the relationship takes long, the other person tends to change his/her mind regarding their relationship. Hence, you might hear a person who is in that kind of situation says that “I don’t know him/her anymore.”

 ·         Another benefit of waiting is that you have the time to purify your intentions. (“Love is not jealous or conceited or proud.”) You might want to ask yourself of why you love that particular person, or what your plans are for the both of you or whether what you feel is really genuine.

 ·         In waiting, you can be a better person to love and be loved. We can all do things for love. You can channel your efforts to that particular person to yourself. This is one way of investing for your planned future relationship. You can work on improving your skills and talents, earn some money, work hard on your studies, lessen your negative attitudes and have better relationship with others. Discipline and patience are also some of the benefits of waiting. This way, you are not just ready to love but you are also ready to be loved.

 ·         Waiting can tell you if he/she is the right person for you. (“Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.”) More time to wait allows you to think things through and know if you can love this person wholly.

  There may be hardships that you will experience along the road of waiting and you will encounter tests and trials but there’s only one thing that can be assured to get you going, nothing of worth comes easy (“Love never gives up and its faith, hope and patience never fail.”)

 As you wait, let’s take on the verse 1 Cor. 13: 4-7:

“Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.”

 The verse will help you in waiting, purifying your intentions and evaluating, not just that particular person that you’re attracted to, but also yourself.

 Loving does not only limit to the opposite sex or to that someone that we’re attracted to. Love is a very broad concept and it is definitely everywhere. No matter where we are in this world we can always find love even in the little corners if we just open our hearts for it. Loving others means loving your friends, family, acquaintances, strangers and even your enemies (“Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs.”).

 We should, above all, apply St. Paul’s definition of love to others because this is one thing that the world today needs so urgently and so desperately. And may love define the things that we do every day.

 Closing verse: 1 Cor. 13: 1-3

“I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains---but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have and even give up my body to be burned---but if I have no love, this does me no good.”

-A

(credits to Kyle Andre Aguilar for the photo above)

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

The Service Upgrade

Things are changing. Every active Youth for Christ experiences this as he/she grows inside the community. Change. I am not talking about change of heart although that is also included in the growth of a Youth for Christ. I am talking about change in terms of service---the kind of change where you’ll see a lot of upgrades. Yesterday, you were one of the youth camp participants, and then you become a facilitator, prayer warrior, until you finally experience how it is to become a youth camp team leader. Yesterday, you were a member waiting for the text message of your ate/kuya about when will the next household be, then you become a household head, chapter head, cluster head until you become a sector head or even a mission volunteer or a fulltime worker!

This is what I’ve been experiencing lately. Change. I can see change in my service and in the services of my friends. Some of my friends have found their calling, some have gone into being a Singles for Christ, and some were called for a higher position in the service. Everyone’s upgrading. Praise God! One thing that came into my mind when God called me to a higher mission is that I also need to upgrade my relationship with Him. My new mission is much more spiritual and much more challenging than before. How can I bring Christ to others in a higher level without levelling up my relationship with Him?

 I have always been afraid of growing up. It means more responsibilities and that’s also how it is into growing in the Youth for Christ community. The more you upgrade, the more people you’re accountable to, the more hearts you have to touch and protect but despite of all these, there’s the always the joy in our service to the Lord. We should never fail to see a glimpse of Heaven in our missions. Of course, sometimes I get lost in track especially when functional work swoops in (sisters will understand) and then I would often remind myself who I’m pleasing.

 One thing that I’ve realized is that with God in our lives, there’s a never-ending upgrade until we die. He always sends us to one mission to another and the missions are often getting harder and harder. Not upgraded yet? Maybe there’s one mission you haven’t fulfilled yet. Maybe your family? Studies? God never sends us to a mission without readiness and sometimes, we become ready when we’ve fulfilled a mission. And never be afraid of upgrade. Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zones because there’s more to God out there and there’s more in God to experience out there. The more we upgrade, the more others will upgrade too. Upgrade is just God’s way of saying that He wants to use us more and He wants a deeper relationship with us.

  -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

Joyful Heart, Prayerful Heart, Thankful Heart

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

  With the RAISE WORSHIP CONCERT coming up, I can’t help but include my thoughts on the concert’s anchor verse in my sentiments as a Youth for Christ. The anchor verse, in my own opinion, should what every person in this world put their hearts and minds into. We read or hear the news every day and these days, there are a lot of unpleasant things going on around the world. Wouldn’t it be nicer if people are “joyful always” and that they “pray at all times” and are always “thankful in all circumstances”?

  As I’ve thought and thought about the verse, 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, I’ve come to conclude that joy, prayer and thanksgiving must come together. A prayerful heart is a joyful heart and a joyful heart is a prayerful heart. Without prayer, one struggles to be joyful and thankful because prayer is one of our weapons in protecting ourselves from Satan. Without prayer, we are vulnerable of negativity and evil thoughts and actions then joy disappears and thanksgiving ceases to exist in our hearts. It’s as simple as that.

  We should all pray and make it our mission to bring this verse to the hearts of the people and may we also strive as well to be joyful always, to pray at all times and to be thankful in all circumstances.

    -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

"Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances."

RAISE WORSHIP CONCERT 2015

UP Cebu Open Grounds.

3pm.

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

PARENTCHUTE

“Never be afraid to reach for the stars because even if you fall, you’ll always be wearing a parentchute.”

  I just recently watched this TV series “Modern Family”. It’s basically all about family (obviously) and the best part is, you can see different perspectives--- children’s perspective, parents’ perspective, grandparents’ perspective, and aunts and uncles’ perspective. One of the episodes that caught my emotions most was when the Dunphy parents dropped off their eldest daughter for the first time into college. They were so emotional and very supportive and their daughter was kind of embarrassed to have her parents around. I thought to myself that that must be what my parents felt and I was so insensitive to care.   

  I remember that day when my parents dropped me off to Cebu for college 4 years ago. They were so paranoid and at the same time, supportive. They made sure that my dormitory has a fire exit. They bought me new sheets, new clothes, new everything. They even bought me a cabinet, a hammer (I can’t remember what for), a big bottle of lotion (which is not even close to being half empty until now), and some other things that I would need. Back then, I was so excited to live on my own and get my parents off my back. I thought to myself that it was the perfect time for me to prove that I can take care of myself. Every time my mom reminds me what to do or what not to do, I’d get annoyed because “she’s treating me like I’m a baby and I’m old enough to know what to do.” I have never been so wrong in my life.

  One thing that I’ve learned from the Modern Family show is that parents will always see us as if we are still babies no matter how old we are. I’m now 20 years old and will soon be graduating from college and I just realized how little time I’ve got left to be a fulltime daughter. Soon enough, I’ll have my own family and be a part-time daughter, part-time mother, and part-time wife and that just sounds exhausting. I realized that I was so busy hurrying to grow up just to get away from my parents and now, the longer that I’m away from home and all alone living in a dormitory, the more I got to appreciate my family (and home-cooked meals) which, by the way, is a little bit late. Being away from them is like having a glimpse of real life and not having them around makes it a little harder to cope with. It’s hard when every time you get sad or you get sick, they’re not around to ask you what’s wrong or to bring medicine to your bed or to check up on you. Sure, they may be a phone call away but their presence makes it a lot different.

  So appreciate the times when your parents are still around to reprimand you or tell you what to do or what not to do because when we reach adulthood, they won’t be there all the time to guide us and from what I’ve heard, adulthood problems are far bigger than the things that our parents scold us from right now. No matter how much pride we’ve got, we need them. Their pieces of advice might not make sense to us right now but as we get older, we’ll soon get to say that they were right after all.

  The best thing about parents is that they are our one source of unconditional love. No matter how much we mess up, they’ll still love us. They are also our one source of encouragement. They are the first people who believe in us and they’re the ones who will surely be there when things fall apart. We are blessed to have our PARENTCHUTE.

      -A

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

CFC - Youth for Christ Cebu Central One

Sector Youth Conference

December 14, 2014

100Php registration fee.

Contact your chapter heads now!

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

CFC Youth for Christ Cebu, Central 1 Sector Youth Conference official teaser #1. 

ALL IN! 

12.14.14

[bisayangmisyonaryo]

Stand Up, Stand Out

How far can you go before you realize that moment when you need to stand up for the Lord? How far can you go before you finally decide to stand up for what you believe in? Does it really matter to blend in?

  “We need to stand up for the Lord. We do not need to blend in.”

  I’ve been reminding myself that quote lately. You see, it’s not all the time that our YFC friends are always there to remind us that we are for the Lord and that we believe and serve God. Sometimes, we are surrounded by people who have different beliefs than us. Sometimes, those people believe that pre-marital sex is normal, that we can have as many relationships with the opposite sex as we can, that it’s okay to get drunk every day and smoke cigars, that having failing grades is normal for a student, and that having a relationship with the same sex is normal. The thing about today’s culture is that sin has been becoming a trend that people normalize it. I, myself, had been confused and became part of this “culture”.

  How far did I go before I realized that moment when I needed to stand up for the Lord? I went to as far as doing four out of those five beliefs that I mentioned earlier and it didn’t feel good and I ended up getting messed up. My piece of advice would be to choose your friends wisely. The people you surround yourself with might affect the things that you believe in. Sometimes, it’s not really peer pressure that makes us do things that are against the Youth for Christ advocacies and teachings. Sometimes, as based on experience, it’s our sins. We, sometimes, have this “I-already-got-wet-so-why-not-just-take-a-bath” mentality. It means that once we sin, there’s a possibility that we make another then another until it becomes big enough to put out that fire in our hearts. Then add up the people that we surround ourselves with and that’s when we tend to ‘normalize’ sins to the point that we even brag about it.

  One solution for this is to remind ourselves what are the right things to do, go to confession, let God forgive you and, of course, forgive yourself. I was awful at that last part. In my own opinion, it’s harder to forgive yourself than to forgive others because you have that power of control over yourself than over others and yet you weren’t able to do it. But then we have to realize that all of us make mistakes.

  Does it really matter to blend in? I used to think so. I used to think that being able to blend in makes us survive the ‘social ecosystem’ but it’s not. It’s how you are able to stand firm in what you believe in and how confident you are about it. Now that I think of it, if we blend in, how can we evangelize?

  As YFC’s, we are God’s soldiers and as soldiers, we have to be loyal no matter how much the other side whispers on our ears to go dark. Once we decide to set our loyalty to our God, the challenge is to know when to fight.

  I recently had an experience on this. I was with my classmates and they were talking about love life and sex. At first, I was responsive trying to relate to what they were talking about until it got to the point that I began to ‘normalize’ the topic and I started to brag about my past experiences. At the middle of our conversation, I realized, “wait...this is it! This is the moment when I stand up for the Lord!”. So yeah, it took me a matter of time to realize when to fight. After that, I just went silent and drifted from the conversation allowing myself to get out of placed. I’ll tell you what, it’s better to get out of placed than to go home knowing that you weren’t able to fight for the Lord that day.

  Remember that the culture today is made by people who are confident about themselves and by people who follow them. It’s either we are the ones who follow, or we are the ones who build a new culture. Let’s be confident in what we believe in because, as YFC’s, our beliefs are rooted on a powerful God.

    -A