One of the greatest obstacles to becoming a committed Christian is that Christianity is challenging. The task of living a fully God-centered life is no walk in the park, as anyone who lives in the modern age can attest to. Indeed, Christianity lived to the fullest involves struggle and sacrifice. True Christians, though, know that the obstacles we might face are worth it.
Skeptics today will constantly tell you that your faith is worthless. Modern society will blame the world's problems on your religion, and say it has no use anymore. This can make even the most dedicated of Christians question their faith, because the pressure can be astronomical. The devil is hard at work here, but you are not alone. With God's help and guidance, you can be the bright, strong, and faithful Christian He wants you to be in this decaying world.
Stick to your morals.
Christians have relaxed their views over the decade on such issues that are clearly forbidden in the Bible. This is due in part to the pressures placed on Christian them from society at large to engage in sin. If you really want to serve God, you will need to maintain you commitment to biblical morals despite what others are telling you. You should expect resistance towards your beliefs, especially on the more hot-button issues. However you'll have to learn how to shrug these people off. When your integrity is compromised, you start slipping further and further away from God's grace.
Keep going to church.
You might get judged by others for going to church, especially when churches across the nation are closing their doors due to lack of attendance. Again, this is something you have to continue doing if you really want to live out your Christian faith. Church will be a safe haven for you, where you can get away from some of the pressures normal society places on you. You will be surrounded by like-minded people who also love God and only want to support you on your journey to grow closer to Him. Join a Bible study group, for example, to build a support system of other Christians. They will understand the struggles you face being religious in the modern world and can give you tips to help you get through it.
Be of service.
In Mark 10:42-23 it says "“Jesus summoned them and said to them, 'You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.'” Christians are called to serve others and our world, no matter what state it is in. If you see things in the modern society that upset you and frustrate you, instead of sitting around complacent get up and take action in God's name. You could work at a soup kitchen, volunteer at a local shelter, or clean up a park. Use this as a way to show others that you are allowing God to work through you to make the world a better place.
Stay focused.
When all else fails, make sure to keep your eyes on the prize: eternal life with Jesus Christ. All a Christian really needs to remember about following Jesus, today or at any age, is that your relationship with God should be above all else. We only have so much time and energy to give to the world, and life is indeed short. If we put other goals ahead of our spiritual aspirations, we may find we run out of time before getting around to being the disciple we were always meant to be. We cannot be open to letting the modern world influence us, frustrate us, or break us. When society is yelling at you to stop believing, tune them out and tune into the Bible. Mark 8:36 echoes this, by telling us that there is no profit in trying to fix the world, and instead we could only lose our soul along the way.
Learn to forgive.
Unfortunately, people hurt each other and eventually you’ll be the victim of someone's hate. This person may judge your theology, gossip about you, slander your family, lie, steal, cheat, or betray you. There are millions of things that can happen, because everyone is human. All you can do is control how you will respond. Many people reject Christianity not because of Christ, but because of those who represents Christ. They have known a pastor, a church member, or a Christian that did something horrible. When these people then aim to hurt you, they expect to get a rise out of you and further prove to themselves that Christ is not alive and well in today's society. Be that person that proves them wrong. God calls us to forgive, as He has forgiven us of our sins. Your ability to let the hurt from these people go is directly related with your ability to forgive them.
It’s not easy being a Christian in today’s society. Now more than ever, we are being pulled to commit sins and renounce our faith. Do not give into these pressures and instead let it be a drive to only dedicate yourself that much more to Christ. With God on your side, you’ll be able to withstand the challenges you face.
