Preserving Christian Values And Practices

One of the members of our church who runs a locksmith Austin based company and is a devout Christian came up to us and asked the question, “If God loves us so much, why does he bring forth so much pain”? This is perhaps a mystery that many devout believers themselves ask from time to time. When tragedy strikes us, it can put even the most devout person to the test. We feel that if we do good in the world and have faith in the Lord, that we shall always receive blessing.
 
The man in our congregation was a local businessman that wove and sold sundresses to make a living. One day he left his work only to return to see that his store had been burnt down by an apparent fire. Apparently the central heating short circuited and burned everything to the ground in a matter of minutes. This was devastating to the man as he barely had any money and could not afford insurance, thus all of the losses he incurred would not be restored. He wondered why if he had been such a man of faith that such things had happened to him?
 
It is true that God does work in mysterious ways, and the only answer to this question is that it is meant to be. Perhaps moving forward the man would learn a new trade that would benefit him more in the future. Perhaps this tragedy will lead him down the road to another opportunity. Whatever it may be, he must not doubt the intentions of the Lord as he does have a plan for all of us.
 
When bad things happen to us of course faith will be challenged. Sometimes it seems that evil triumphs while good struggles with defeat. However understand that these trials and tribulations are here to not torture you, but to make you stronger. If you can get through it, you will definitely become a stronger person for it. By the way the man who sold sundresses eventually started a new business selling contemporary sofas and carpets and is much better off than before. So trust that the Lord has better plans for you, and you’ll be on your way.

I have worked as a locksmith in Federal way for the past 40 years, and in my many years doing so I have literally visited hundreds of homes during the holidays. This holiday season it is important that we hold to our values of our faith and religion. We live in a world that is becoming more and more secular, it is rather unfortunate the rather sad state of affairs that we are in. It seems that these days even if you’re a person of faith that there is no way that you can avoid the chaos and evil of the world. All we can do is try to be good and to love our fellow man and try to put as much good out there in the world as possible.
 
It seems these days though that the holiday season often brings about much anger and frustration amongst people that don’t agree about how the holiday should be celebrated. Christmas is supposed be a time of love and family, however over the past few years it has become more or less a political football. The separation of church and state has created quite a stir amongst atheists who do not appreciate Christian symbols during the holidays. Things that we grew up with such as Christmas trees and Manger settings during this time of year always seems to come under attack.
 
Even though to Christians as may be upsetting to have to understand that we need to be accepting of those that don’t necessarily agree with their views. That does not mean that we should back down for what we believe in, however we just need to look at things from their perspective and understand where they’re coming from. Many of these people for whatever reason choose to attack Christian values during this holiday season, however this should not cause us to be down in spirit. We should see this as an opportunity to reach out and try to communicate with our non-Christian brothers and sisters.
 
Even though the law states that everyone should have the freedom to practice any religion they choose, during Christmas it seems that these values always come under attack. If you do come across someone that does not agree with your values, you should not hold any animosity or anger towards them. Just as you have your faith in God, they also have the right to believe whatever they choose. How they live their life is ultimately up to them, and we should respect that and try not to interfere.
 
So despite the so-called war on Christmas, we should still do our best to celebrate our faith. That doesn’t mean we have to smash in the noses of those who don’t believe, but it means that we should not back down to those who disagree with us. You should not be ashamed of your values, and you should never back down from what you believe. At the same time though you should not force onto others who are not yet ready to believe. So this holiday season if you do come across somebody that does not agree with you, simply smile and wish them a Merry Christmas. The holiday season is a time of love and there’ll be other times to debate this issue.