I feel like Christians have a bad reputation. I know it wasn't always this way. People used to respect those that were considered to be a man of God or a woman of God. When people hear that I'm a Christian they automatically assume I'm going to judge them for the sins they have committed, or tell them that they have to believe in God. And while I believe in God and I want everyone to believe that, I am not going to shove the Bible down your throat.

I want to literally live my life on mission. I want to be a missionary and share the Good News with those that have never heard it before. I want to see others come to believe in God like I do and to watch God change their life. Contrary to what you might think, I do not want to force my religion on you. I want to live my life in such a way that others will see Christ through me. That they will see me as different from the rest of the world because of Him.

I struggle to make that a reality sometimes. It is very easy to slip and follow after what the world is telling me is right and acceptable compared to what God has called me to do. I wrote an article a few weeks about the struggle of finding modest clothing and I think that has a big problem for Christians in the year 2016.

Lately I've been paying more attention to the kind of music I listen to and actually listening to what the lyrics are saying. Most of the music on the radio is not something I want to actually listen to. All everyone wants to put in a song is sex, drugs and drinking. I don't want to listen to that kind of song. I want to be able to tap my foot and belt out a song that I wouldn't be embarrassed to be caught by my parents listening to or singing. Some of the words in the songs can be like poison to Christians.

Being a Christian can feel more like a punchline than an actual lifestyle. Christians are not perfect. We are just believers in a God and while we want others to believe in that, we are not going to force it down someone's throat. Being a Christian was never meant to be easy. Our reward for suffering for His name's sake is worth all the pain when we finally get to Heaven.