Going Against The Grain

Pat Tillman was a pro football player. He was a star in the league making millions. By all accounts, he had it made. Then 9/11 happened and we saw the towers fall. That scene impacted us all in some way. Instead of being moved to anger or sadness, Pat was moved to action. He went against the grain and left millions on the table to serve his country as an Army Ranger. His act was not one that many others in his position made. A short time after his decision, Pat was killed in action. He knew the possibilities, he knew what he was giving up, and yet he went anyways. Pat set him self apart from the normal persona of an athlete to follow his heart and protect the country he loved. Just like Pat set himself apart by his actions, we are set apart when we decide to follow God. When we stand up and say “I am going to trust and follow you Lord” we are going against the grain. We are rebelling against the world around us and saying to all that we don’t want to live in darkness anymore. We are refusing to conform to the ideas and practices of the world. We are saying that our old life is gone and that we are new creations through the grace of God and that this new life can be theirs as well. People will not understand. They will make fun of you and question you or tell you that it is just a phase you are going through. They will look for anything they can to show that you are not real in your faith or that your faith is not lasting. It is up to us to guard against that. It is up to us to make sure that we are doing the things we need to do to remain strong in our faith. We need to be in prayer, we need to be in God’s word, and we need to be in fellowship with other believers. We need to be rebels and go against the grain. Do not let fear hold you back, instead let your faith lift you up. Pat Tillman left it all on the table to do what he thought was right. Should we be willing to do any less when it comes to following God?