Happy Retro Day! Here’s a fantastic piece from our archives that I believe will inspire and challenge you just as it did me. Enjoy! ~ Halee

by RTF Guest Writer Kelsey Shaw

“I am serene. I have full awareness of what I have chosen … If I must die, I will die.
Somebody, a long time ago, did it for all of us … I never thought it would end this way.
But I am ready to face the consequences.”
-Abdul Rahman, an Afghan convert to Christianity, quoted in AP

To think about a person having to fight for their right to go to church, believe in God, and talk about it, is strange and unfamiliar in the good ol’ U. S. of A. To add to that, the fact he is not scared to believe in something that may get him killed is mind blowing.

It makes me wonder, if I were in his position, would I do the same? Would I still have a relationship with Jesus? Would I proclaim it? Would I be willing to say “Hey, he died, I can die.”

Thinking about this makes me worry. How can a man in a third-world country be so fearless, so willing, so in love with Jesus that he can say, “I will die for this Man whom I’ve never met because He died for me.” Yeah, I know Jesus died for me, and you, and Mr. Rahman. And Jesus knows Mr. Rahman would die for him.

So now for the real thought-provoking part. Would you die for Him? Just a simple question. Would you, an American citizen, who has never had fear when going to a church (unless it was like, your wedding day or something) be able to proclaim like Mr. Rahman, that you would die for your Savior?

Right now in this moment as I sit at my computer at 11:21 pm in July, 2007, I know if a crazy man walked in to my house and put a gun to my head, and asked me if I believed in Jesus with my whole heart I would say “yes”, but then pray really quickly, just to make sure.

Think about it. Ponder this deep question. Pray about it. Read about other people sacrificing their lives. Then ask yourself this question again. If the answer is “yes” and more than yeah, I hope to be where you are soon. If the answer is no: 1) Do you even know this amazing Jesus? and, if you do, 2) Don’t stress out over it. Just realize we can always keep growing in our relationships with Jesus, find comfort in that, then start growing. God is always willing.