What does it mean to be a “cheap” Christian?
Think about it for a moment.
Let’s take the word apart and define them separately.

We have “cheap” which means “of low quality” or “stingy”.
We have Christian which means “follower of Christ”.
What does it necessarily mean to be a “stingy follower”?

Sometimes, I consider myself to be a cheap Christian.
I mean, yes, I do what is right.
I follow His word.
I determine what’s right and wrong.
I do my duties as a follower.

However, sometimes, I slack and I lack.
Sometimes, I act “stingy” towards others.
I don’t talk to them about Christ nor try to convince them, because either I’m afraid of rejection or not up for the deep conversation about to occur.
I am holding back the holy spirit and the talents God has provided me with by not sharing it with anybody.
God did not provide me with this life so that I can live it for my own selfish gains, but to share the gospel with others.
I have to deliver the good news and helps my friends to reach our final destinations together.
But, fear gets the best of me and I become “cheap”.
I become a selfish being, who only receives and never gives.
I gotta stop being cheap.
I have to “give” more.
I have to “share” more.

Are you a “cheap” Christian?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)

More often than not, we decide to do what’s pleasing in the eyes of others, the world.
We give into society’s demands, desires, and pressure.
It isn’t our initial reaction to do what’s right in God’s eyes.
It’s difficult, without a doubt.
Society is tangible while God isn’t.
Yet, that is what separates us, Christians, from the world.
We’re supposed to plow through a challenging life, so that we may be rewarded later on.
And we will. He guaranteed it.

So, in the grueling process, we must show how different we are.
We must not be of the world, but of God’s Kingdom.
We, ourselves, are limited.
But, God will give us the strength and wisdom to do His awesome will.
We will do things that we cannot even fathom.
But, not on our own, but through God using us.

So, we won’t conform to the worldly ways.
We will restrain from following society, with all our might.
We will follow Him. 

Wanna know why being a Christian makes you stronger?
You’re not only trying to live a sinless life, but you’re in a constant battle with evil, especially the devil and his little minions.
He kicks you when you’re down.
He strangles you when you’re gasping for air.
He takes you down when you’re up.
Better yet, he constantly tries to tear you apart from God.

He is a strong fella.
I mean, he was God’s favorite angel in the past.
So, why wouldn’t God have made him strong?
Now, he is using that to his advantage to exploit our weaknesses and make us suffer on the account of it.
His duty is to have us succumb to his temptations while he lures us in by giving into our desires.

But, guess what?
He’s still afraid of the Almighty.
He won’t dare do anything other then test God’s children.
Why do we go through these struggles? 
Because God knows that we would be able to withstand those tests.
He TRUSTS us that much.
He KNOWS that we won’t fall away.
He’s SURE that we will be gone for a little while.
He knows we will come running back.
And with that in mind, God still gives us the strength to withstand it.

Our job is to keep pushing even when all those “minions” are piling on top of us.
Our job is to fight through all the pain and suffering that is raining down on us.
Our job is to crush all our weaknesses and step over all our desires.
Our job is to keep our faith in tact.
If there’s one thing Satan hates, it’s the fact that we WANT God.
He hates that we’re getting closer and closer to Him.
In the end, Satan wants to create an army that is stronger than ours.
He wants the two extremes to face off and win.
But, he doesn’t stand a chance, because we’re ready and too strong for that.
And when we feel weakened?
We have our “comrades”, our brothers/sisters, our Leader to lean on.

Bottom line: We always win.
Those minions don’t stand a chance.
Why?
We’re just too strong. 

-1 Corinthians 14:20 (NIV)

NOW PLAYING: Starfield - Light of the World

This song gave me the chills.
The message is so clear.
Let’s unify and let the Light of the World shine through us.
Amen. 

And that’s all it took for the Youth Group kids to come together.

As one of the teachers, I felt like this would be like any other retreat.
I actually told my small group that if there was one thing I expected from this retreat, it would be that their passion for God and the newly formed bonds would not “wear off” once we got back home.
My small group and I prayed about that topic for the duration of the retreat.

Yesterday marked the 1 week mark after the retreat and I was very surprised to see how “closely-knit” our YG had become. The students that went on the retreat were all laughing with, smiling at, waving at, hugging each other and it was so awesome to see. These same students were also reaching out and enjoying their Sundays with the rest of the YG kids that could not attend the retreat. Even I had found myself waving at students, whom I usually never talk to. It was a very warm and cozy feeling that seemed to be lacking in the days before the retreat. It also helped that there were videos made, inside jokes being reproduced, and the theme of the retreat not dying out. They actually took those inside jokes, videos, memes, and the theme to an even higher level, in which new jokes have come out of it everyday. The best part about all this is that they’re all in it together.

On another note, I really got to know one of my bible study students better. We had a profound and intense talk, which really revealed the insight of us both to each other. It was necessary and I felt like it was set up by God. I was glad to see him become involved in church activities and it really made me glad that people grew closer to him. In addition, other students definitely renewed their faith, as their suffering and pain were left at the retreat center. During prayer time, I really saw the pain in a few of my students and past students. I knew of their personal struggles and I saw them just lay it all out there that night. I felt their pain, I felt their personal struggles, I felt their sadness while praying for them. In that moment I thought, “If I were to assume how God feels every time He sees us, I would guess that this is EXACTLY how he feels whenever we cry out to Him.” It was a heartfelt experience.

Those three days were needed to revitalize the “kinship” of our Youth Group. I really thank God for answering my small group’s prayers from the retreat, as as AP exams, IB exams, standardized tests, and the stress final stretch of school comes into play, I hope that my small groups prayers continuously get answered. I hope that they will continue to rely on, help out, lean on, and confide in Him and one another, under JC. I really hope they stay closely knit and the love within our YG does not die down. Most importantly, I hope their spirituality does not die down, in the weeks that follow.