This is something I've heard all throughout my life.

Christianity is not something to be taken lightly. It's a relationship and like every good relationship, you must put lots of work into it. You wouldn't expect your significant other to stay with you if you only take to him/her every other week or so would you?

So why do you expect to have a strong relationship with Christ if you do the same to Him?

I'm not going to lie and put on some show for the sake of an article. I've just recently gotten back on track with my relationship with Him. I used to struggle and have MAJOR downfalls. I still fail daily too, I still sin daily. Does that make me less of a Christian? No. It means I'm human. I make mistakes and I ask for forgiveness and guess what. He forgives me because He loves me unconditionally.

It's so difficult to follow Him and His word in a world like we live in today. Christians are looked down on and portrayed to hate everyone who does wrong. We're portrayed to hate homosexuals and transgender. We're portrayed to turn our heads to those crying out for help because they don't have that "Church goer personality".

That literally disgusts me.

I've never thought less of my friends who are homosexual/transgender. I love them to pieces and I admire them for standing up for their beliefs. Does that make me less of a Christian? No. In the Bible it says to show God's love and be a witness for Him, I'm doing just that by loving them just the way they are. Just because what they view is different than what I believe, does not make them my "enemy" or "less than me". It means just that their views are different.

Want to hear something crazy?

Homosexuality is viewed as a sin just like, say, adultery is, and I bet there has been someone in your church who has cheated on their significant other, they might've even sat on the same pew as you. CRAZY, I KNOW.

A sin is a sin. NONE of us are the ones to judge someone else solely because they sin differently than we do.

Let me just hop off that soap box for a second. In my opinion, Christianity isn't a religion. It's a relationship. I talk to God every day. Not in an "Our Father Who Art In Heaven" type of way, but in a "God, it's been a great day and I want to thank you for that" way. I've never been able to talk to someone as freely as I can Him.

Also, some people have this misguided idea that once you become saved that your life is all of a sudden going to be full of rainbows, unicorns, butterflies, and glitter.

That couldn't be farther from the truth. It's not easier at all. Sometimes, it's even harder because now when you turn down those Earthly things, the temptations will be strong. That'll be the Devil's way of trying to rope you back in. However, it seems easier once you're saved because we have a strength now that we've never known.

Granted, some will argue with this article and say I'm wrong for what I believe in, and that's okay. Varying opinions are what make us human.

I just know that being a Christian is my own decision. Not my parents' or my friends'. It's ultimately mine, and it's honestly been the best decision I've ever made in my life. It's not been a walk in the park at all, and I've lost a lot of friends over it. However, in the long run, I know who holds my future and I know that my future will be epic.

Christianity is not easy at all, but to me, it's SO worth it.

"Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." Deuteronomy 5:33