Feeling Like an Outcast? 3 Things to Always Remember. The Struggles That Christians Face. Part 4

Have you been feeling like an outcast?

Do you feel like as a Christian people view you differently?

Or maybe you are afraid to spread the gospel and be public about your faith in fear of feeling like an outcast or losing people?

Trust me... I've been there.

In today's episode I go over the struggle of feeling like an outcast as a Christian in this world today. I pair with this prayer, scripture, and I provide three things to always remember.

So I actually started this series a while back about the struggles that Christians face. Part 1 was on temptation and it was episode number 21 that I posted back in April of 2020. Part 2 was about guilt & shame and that was episode 22. Then I just decided to do episode part 3 last week about pride. I already had all 4 parts of this series in mind of exactly what I was going to do. After I did part 1 and 2 I just put the others on the back burner because God had called me to do some other things. I think now coming back to part 3 and 4 is perfect because of all of the Bible studies we've been doing and the things that we've been talking about. So without further ado, let's get into it this episode about feeling like an outcast....

First I want to say a quick prayer..... Lord I pray that you lift up every single person reading this right now. I pray that you open up our eyes to see the truth of your words. I pray that you wrap your arms around us and show us so much love. I pray that we're not conformed to this world and that we recognize that we're not of this world and you're making a place for us in heaven. I pray that we know that we as Christians, we as disciples of Jesus Christ, when we're saved, we belong in heaven and we're not of this world. The struggles of this world are temporary and you will always help us through them, we just have to lean on you every step of the way. I love you with my whole heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Alright, so feeling like an outcast or being an outcast is a big thing for Christians. One we're saved and we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we're not of this world. This world is just our temporary home and our real home is in heaven. Just like we've seen in our Bible studies in John that the world hated Jesus and just like we saw in chapter 13 of the book of John, that no servant is greater than their master. So if the world hated or hates Jesus, then they're also going to hate us because we're disciples of Jesus Christ. This world is full of darkness, deception, and lies. The people that live in darkness hate the light and they don't want to come into the light for fear that their deeds are going to be exposed (that's from John 3:20.)

So when we are disciples of Jesus Christ, we're letting other people know about him, and we're spreading love, light, and the gospel, we are going to feel like an outcast. There are going to be people that are not going to agree with us because we are not of this world. Just as people didn't listen to Jesus or believe in him, they're not going to listen to us. We have to know that our hope is in the Lord and be comforted by knowing that Jesus has already overcome the world. Even though we have troubles in this world we have to remind ourselves that we are not of this world and we're going to be going to our true home in heaven when it's our time to go. The most important thing is us having a relationship with Christ and also spreading the gospel so that everyone that we know and love or people that we don't even know that we just come across may know about Jesus, have a relationship with him, be saved by him, and go to heaven.

When I first started really talking about God and spreading the gospel on social media I was very hesitant. If you know my story then you know that I've always been raised up in church. I've always known about God, but there was a period of my life where I strayed very far away from the Lord and I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of. By the grace of God I was saved. Throughout these past couple of years, especially throughout the last year or so, I have really been spreading the gospel, doing these Bible studies, these podcast episodes, and all of that. When I first started posting on social media about the Lord I'm not going to lie, it was difficult for me.

Even though in the past I would post randomly here and there a little Bible verse or a quote, I never fully went into my faith on social media or in public. It was always something that I did in private. I didn't want to lose people or people to think differently of me and that was something that I had to overcome. I knew that if I wanted to make an impact in this world, if I wanted to spread the gospel and love and light, I had to really change my perspective and know that the most important thing is having a relationship with Christ and spreading the gospel. No matter if I lose a few people, or what people think of me, or if they don't agree with me, that's not the things that are important.

The things that are important are having that relationship with Christ, spreading the gospel, and letting other people know about Christ. I actually did lose a few people through really showing my faith on social media and all of that. The closer that I got to Christ my priorities changed and I had to spread the gospel. It wasn't even a choice, I just had this burning passion inside of me. I still have this burning passion inside of me to spread the gospel, love, light, do these Bible studies, uncover the truth of God's words, and help other women with their God led calling. This is not something that's a choice for me it's something that I know God has called me to do and it is my duty to stay faithful to it. Not everyone's going to listen to me, but it's my duty to spread the gospel. As a Christian and a disciples of Jesus Christ, it's also your duty to spread the gospel no matter what people are going to think of you or if they're going to listen to you or not.

Here are some scriptures pertaining

to feeling like an outcast:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

-2 Corinthians 1:3-7

So we're going to have trouble, struggles, and sufferings in this world, but God's going to comfort us. Jesus is going to comfort us and just as the Lord shares in our sufferings, the Lord also shares in our comfort.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory."

-Colossians 3:1-4

So we can not be focused on earthly things or worry about worldly things and worldly people. We have to set our minds on Christ and know that one day we will see his glory and we'll be in heaven with God and with Jesus. Until then we just have to do our best here and make sure that we're having that close relationship with Christ so that we can have hope that he will give us peace in our struggles. Everything that we need we can find through Christ.

"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."

-2 Timothy 1:8-12

The apostle Paul wrote this scripture. The apostle Paul was put in prison and he suffered because he was spreading the gospel. This scripture just goes to show that we can't be ashamed to testify about the Lord. We can't think that because we might feel out of place, or people might not agree with us or like us, that we just shouldn't spread the gospel because that is so far from the truth. Our hope has to be in the Lord and when we're saved, we have eternal life through Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive us of our sins. He showed that pure sacrificial love for us so that we will have eternal life. If he can do that for us, then the least that we should be able to do is get over our fear or our feeling of being an outcast and spread the gospel and let other people know about Jesus Christ. We will come across other Christians that believe in Jesus also, people that can relate to us, and people that may not have known anything about Christ but because of us now has a relationship with him.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?' So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." -1 Peter 4:12-19

I also wanted to point out in our Bible study that we're going to do on chapter 15 at the book of John, that Jesus talks about how the world will hate his disciples. So that's why I didn't go completely into that because we're going to go more into that in that Bible study in a couple of days.

Now I want go over three things that I want you guys to know when you're feeling like an outcast, if you feel like you don't want to spread the gospel, or you don't want to lose people or want people to think differently.

Here are the 3 things to know

and to always remember:

1. Jesus was an outcast

-Just as the world hated or hates Jesus; the evil, corrupt, and wicked people in this world are also going to hate us but we can't let that discourage us.

2. We are not of this world

-So anytime you feel like an outcast or you feel like you don't belong, just remember that you don't belong here. This is our temporary home. Our real home is in heaven with God and with Jesus Christ.

3. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are always right here with us, guiding us, helping us along the way, and showing us truth

-Any time we feel alone, anytime we feel like we're not being heard or the struggles, the trials, and tribulations of this world too much, we can always remember that God is right here with us and he's got us. Jesus suffered more than we suffer; he died on the cross for us. We can have hope knowing that there is nothing that we can do that will make God not love us. We just have to lean on him and ask him for guidance and he will teach us all that we need to know. God will open our eyes and he will give us that love, mercy, and grace that we need.

So I hope this helped you guys if you have been feeling like an outcast, or if you haven't been wanting to spread the gospel because you're afraid that you're going to lose people or people aren't going to listen to you. I hope that you now know that the important thing isn't that you're going to belong in this world. As believers of Christ, we don't belong in this world, we're not of this world, and our real home is in heaven. The important thing is letting everyone that you know and come across know about Jesus Christ so that they may be saved also and go to heaven also.

I love you guys so much.

Never forget to choose faith over fear.

-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)

p.s. If you'd rather listen to Faith-based, business, mindset, and mental health tips, then check out my podcast. There I will share my personal experiences, stories I've never told before, and bring you along with this hot mess life of mine. New episodes every week.

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