about how Jesus makes me a better rebel.

all my life, i've been somewhat of a rebel. not in big things that matter, mind you. but in small ways. you want me to sit? i'd rather stand, thanks. you want me to repeat after you? these lips are zipped. you say white, i say black. and so it goes. 

i can't say exactly why i'm like this. because if you're reading this, you probably know that in general, i'm fairly reliable, and i do tend to follow as many rules as i can. but something about someone ordering me around, having expectations of me about things that just don't matter...i don't like it. 

when i was younger, everyone told me that one day i would get married. so i said i wouldn't. and they all said, oh no, you'll be the first one to get married. 

i wasn't. 

now that nobody cares, i really would like to be married. 

i hope you're seeing the pattern here. 

i'm going to make a wild assumption here and guess that if Jesus had never entered my soul and polished me up a bit, i would be a very different rebel. it's interesting to look at the people around me who don't know Jesus and see how their lives have turned out and how mine might have. not that there's anything wrong with your life if you don't know Jesus, it's just so foreign from my experience that i don't really get it. 

i think that if i hadn't started to rebel from society's expectations on my own, then i probably would have done a lot more things i would now regret. but somehow, these days, knowing Jesus makes rebellion against the expectations so much sweeter. unlike so many other 20-somethings, i don't go out, get drunk, and do whatever it is they do with the opposite sex afterwards. (ok, i know what they do, i just didn't want to type it out). i feel like people expect this behaviour from me, so i don't give in, and knowing Jesus would approve of that decision makes it easier. 

the whole thing about following Jesus (not necessarily being a 'Christian', because there are plenty of 'Christians' that don't act like Jesus), is that it's a natural rebellion. your whole life is centred around defying society's expectations. the over-arching 'they' in our society expects you to act a certain way at a certain point, and to have certain opinions and to give in to certain things. and when you don't, they get mad. i find it best to say nothing about these things if nobody asks, but if they do, and i have to open my mouth and give my opinion, chances are, if you're an average non-Christian, you're not going to like what i have to say. quite frankly, i don't care. that's kind of the whole point of being a rebel. 

but being a rebel for Christ is easier. i just point to Him. i don't like certain things because He made me not like them. i don't do certain things because He won't let me. and somehow, people think that because it's for Jesus, you're crazy anyways, so why don't we just leave her alone. 

it's interesting how Jesus can make your weak points into strong points. i used to just be a rebel for the sake of upending people's expectations. now i'm a rebel because Jesus was one, and i'm following His example. Hopefully, we can use this rebellious spirit to make the world a better place. 

He can take your weaknesses and make them into strengths too. it would be interesting to see what your life would be like after He did. i speak from experience when i tell you that it will be better than you can imagine. being for Christ is the easiest thing i do, and my life is better for it.