There is a lot of pressure on preacher’s kids. (Face it—we're oddballs.) We are supposed to act different, talk different, think different, watch different movies, listen to different music, wear different clothes, have different friends and families, read different books, and so on. It all comes down to behavior. Sometimes we may be referred to as weird. On the other hand, if we don't live up to our expectations, we're scoffed at even more for not being a representative of Christ. Suddenly, we're ironic. Perhaps there isn't any truth to this Christian business after all. Isn't that a truce broken in our Salt and Light mandate? (Matthew 5:13-16)
Being any kind of Christian in a humanistic world is hard. I'm not talking about wishy-washy hypocritical Christians who proclaim good works in the streets and practice sin in their homes. They may write a bestseller book with a big cheesy smile on the cover, but it doesn't mean they are right, honest, or Christ-like (Matthew 7:15, 21-23). Recognition by the secular world does not mean they accept Christianity. In fact, Jesus said that we would be persecuted and reviled for His sake. (Matthew 5:11; 10:22) If the world didn't accept its Saviour when He came, why should it accept His disciples?
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." ~Matthew 10:16
Yes, I'm a preacher's kid. In addition, I am also a young woman living in a secular world. I feel the pressure hitting me like a ton of bricks. But I'm no different from y'all. There's only one thing that makes me different from the world's young people. Yep, you guessed it. I'm a preacher's kid.
No, I'm not ashamed of my heritage. My father is a pastor, my grandpa is a pastor, and one of my great-great-great-grandfathers was a pastor. There are even more scattered throughout our ancestors. The point is this: my life has been intertwined with God in the midst of it. I'm a preacher's kid of a preacher's kid. Where's the shame in that? I'm proud of it.
The only thing I regret is my poor ability for handling certain situations. I've stuck my foot in my mouth, I've stood back and followed the crowd, I've not been a leader, and I've spurted some pretty crazy ideas. (Just ask my mom.) Right now I wish I had charged full ahead into my insecurities...but I didn't. There have been many times I've wished to go back and redo my life. Of course, we always wish for the impossible.
Although I may not be where I wish to be, I'd say I've come a long way in some areas. Two years ago I never would have imagined this blog, my writing, our traipse through Georgia, the beginning of Covenant Baptist Church and Covenant Commission, the birth of Liberty (my baby sister), my 16th birthday (two years ago it seemed like forever), the crazy ups and downs of life...hey, even my photography! Life is peculiar sometimes, isn't it?
However, I could really better myself. I may be swept up into the pressure of being a preacher's kid sometimes, but I don't have to be. What I am can be a good thing.
Every aspect of this world has tribulation. We may be hit with tragedy, trial, sorrow, or pain, but Christ foretold that these things would happen.
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33
Isn't that comforting?
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" ~Romans 8:31
The world’s opinion should not matter to us. Why should we care about the opinions of those who reject our Saviour and faith?
While we are to be God's witnesses for the gospel, the world just hardens their hearts against us. From history, we can learn that tribulation worketh patience (Romans 5:3). From the lives of the martyrs we see glory and fortitude and everlasting life. They received their crown with the words "well done, thou good and faithful servant" for their service in the kingdom. What is our persecution compared to theirs? True, mental stress can be just as horrible as physical pain, but have we ever suffered starvation in a cold, damp dungeon, or felt the flames rise higher and higher around our legs? Nor have we been tortured for Christ's sake in a country wholly hostile to Jesus. Think again when all seems lost. We live freely (for the most part anyway), breathe the clean air every day, walk wherever we please unconstrained, and worship God wherever we will. How long our freedoms will last, God only knows. For now we ought to be profoundly thankful that we live, and move, and have our being, for it is all through Jesus Christ.
Anyway, Paul's words should give us comfort:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ~Romans 8:18
That is saying a lot, considering all that Paul went through - beatings, a stoning, being left for dead, thrown into prison, and eventually beheaded—all for Christ's sake. Surely we can bear our burdens easier when we really give it some thought.
So, I may be a preacher's kid with all its peculiar pressures, but I've found out that life is much better when I have a positive outlook. Who cares if I'm a little bizarre? I'm a preacher's kid, what do you expect?
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place." ~2Corinthians 2:14
There is nothing sweeter than Scripture for a troubled heart. God really is good. But He is also just. He destroys the wicked and cannot tolerate sin, yet He is faithful to those who love Him. His words to us are sweeter than honey. (Psalm 19:7-11) I believe He would rather see a smile on our faces and joyfully praising Him than to have a "woe is me" mentality.
I'm sure preachers kids can relate. It's awfully hard to live up to high expectations when our nature is sinful. Sometimes we are given bad names because of what we are. The bad names really come from preachers kids who don't fulfill their God-given duty. I may fail many times, but I don't like being categorized in that lot. Sometimes it seems like we have to endure more than we can handle. However, Jesus said we will not be tempted with more than we are able. Hallelujah! Through Christ, we will conquer over all!
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither heath, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate s from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:35
Being any kind of Christian in a humanistic world is hard. I'm not talking about wishy-washy hypocritical Christians who proclaim good works in the streets and practice sin in their homes. They may write a bestseller book with a big cheesy smile on the cover, but it doesn't mean they are right, honest, or Christ-like (Matthew 7:15, 21-23). Recognition by the secular world does not mean they accept Christianity. In fact, Jesus said that we would be persecuted and reviled for His sake. (Matthew 5:11; 10:22) If the world didn't accept its Saviour when He came, why should it accept His disciples?
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." ~Matthew 10:16
Yes, I'm a preacher's kid. In addition, I am also a young woman living in a secular world. I feel the pressure hitting me like a ton of bricks. But I'm no different from y'all. There's only one thing that makes me different from the world's young people. Yep, you guessed it. I'm a preacher's kid.
No, I'm not ashamed of my heritage. My father is a pastor, my grandpa is a pastor, and one of my great-great-great-grandfathers was a pastor. There are even more scattered throughout our ancestors. The point is this: my life has been intertwined with God in the midst of it. I'm a preacher's kid of a preacher's kid. Where's the shame in that? I'm proud of it.
The only thing I regret is my poor ability for handling certain situations. I've stuck my foot in my mouth, I've stood back and followed the crowd, I've not been a leader, and I've spurted some pretty crazy ideas. (Just ask my mom.) Right now I wish I had charged full ahead into my insecurities...but I didn't. There have been many times I've wished to go back and redo my life. Of course, we always wish for the impossible.
Although I may not be where I wish to be, I'd say I've come a long way in some areas. Two years ago I never would have imagined this blog, my writing, our traipse through Georgia, the beginning of Covenant Baptist Church and Covenant Commission, the birth of Liberty (my baby sister), my 16th birthday (two years ago it seemed like forever), the crazy ups and downs of life...hey, even my photography! Life is peculiar sometimes, isn't it?
However, I could really better myself. I may be swept up into the pressure of being a preacher's kid sometimes, but I don't have to be. What I am can be a good thing.
Every aspect of this world has tribulation. We may be hit with tragedy, trial, sorrow, or pain, but Christ foretold that these things would happen.
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33
Isn't that comforting?
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" ~Romans 8:31
The world’s opinion should not matter to us. Why should we care about the opinions of those who reject our Saviour and faith?
While we are to be God's witnesses for the gospel, the world just hardens their hearts against us. From history, we can learn that tribulation worketh patience (Romans 5:3). From the lives of the martyrs we see glory and fortitude and everlasting life. They received their crown with the words "well done, thou good and faithful servant" for their service in the kingdom. What is our persecution compared to theirs? True, mental stress can be just as horrible as physical pain, but have we ever suffered starvation in a cold, damp dungeon, or felt the flames rise higher and higher around our legs? Nor have we been tortured for Christ's sake in a country wholly hostile to Jesus. Think again when all seems lost. We live freely (for the most part anyway), breathe the clean air every day, walk wherever we please unconstrained, and worship God wherever we will. How long our freedoms will last, God only knows. For now we ought to be profoundly thankful that we live, and move, and have our being, for it is all through Jesus Christ.
Anyway, Paul's words should give us comfort:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ~Romans 8:18
That is saying a lot, considering all that Paul went through - beatings, a stoning, being left for dead, thrown into prison, and eventually beheaded—all for Christ's sake. Surely we can bear our burdens easier when we really give it some thought.
So, I may be a preacher's kid with all its peculiar pressures, but I've found out that life is much better when I have a positive outlook. Who cares if I'm a little bizarre? I'm a preacher's kid, what do you expect?
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place." ~2Corinthians 2:14
There is nothing sweeter than Scripture for a troubled heart. God really is good. But He is also just. He destroys the wicked and cannot tolerate sin, yet He is faithful to those who love Him. His words to us are sweeter than honey. (Psalm 19:7-11) I believe He would rather see a smile on our faces and joyfully praising Him than to have a "woe is me" mentality.
I'm sure preachers kids can relate. It's awfully hard to live up to high expectations when our nature is sinful. Sometimes we are given bad names because of what we are. The bad names really come from preachers kids who don't fulfill their God-given duty. I may fail many times, but I don't like being categorized in that lot. Sometimes it seems like we have to endure more than we can handle. However, Jesus said we will not be tempted with more than we are able. Hallelujah! Through Christ, we will conquer over all!
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither heath, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate s from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:35
