Our Struggles, but Christ - The Dimmer

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The Dimmer: Yo…I'm so stressed out mentally.

Friend: What's going on?

The Dimmer: There has been a lot going on with work and my boyfriend. I have never felt more alone as I do now.

Friend: You know you can tell me anything, and if you can't tell me you know you got Christ. He is always available for us we just have to seek Him out. 

The Dimmer: I’m worried. I'm worried about my relationship. I’m tired of people. Especially people from church, they telling me to let my relationship go. They don’t understand that God has blessed us. I know Taylor is a blessing in my life and I am the same in Taylor's.  When we first met, he was not even interested in going to church. He agrees to go now because of me. Personally, I think it is amazing! He might not go every Sunday, but it is progress. Some take longer than others, but one way or another he will find his way to God.

Friend: The fact that someone goes to church does not mean they are coming for right reasons and we both know that. 

The Dimmer: Taylor loves Christ. Why isn't that enough? I know Taylor isn't fully committed, but there's progress. We do get into arguments sometimes about God. I really can't talk to him about my relationship with God without making him feel uncomfortable. It is causing a lot of problems in our relationship, but I feel like he is changing. I just need to be patient and keep praying. What do you think?

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Friend: You know one thing I love about Christ is there is no in between. You are either for Him or against Him. (Matt. 12:30) People think just because you go to church or do certain deeds that mean you are a Follower of Christ. You know someone is a Follower of Christ when you see their fruit. Look at their lives. (Matt. 12:33) Has their desires change from the worldly pleasure to Christ? Do they love people differently? Do they practice what they preach and preach what they practice?

The Dimmer: What am I supposed to do? What do you think?
Friend: You want the biblical answer or the "what you want to hear" answer?
The Dimmer: Haha...the biblical.

Friend: Good...because I was going to give it to you anyway. LOL Jesus Christ tells us that no one lights a lamp and then puts it under a table. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. (Luke 11:33) You can’t hide your light when you are around darkness. 

The Dimmer: But, I am not trying to dim my light. I am trying to lead Taylor to Christ. I just want him to love God just like I do, but I don’t want to ruin my relationship. I feel like if I keep bringing God up it will make Taylor go in the opposite direction. 
Friend: Hmmmmm....Are you more concern with your relationship with Taylor or your relationship with Christ? Living for Christ means that we are going to suffer. Remember the world hated Him first so its going to hate us. (John 15:18) We have to give up this world in order to live for Him. Some times that means giving up or distancing ourselves from a friend or a boyfriend. We must choose obedience just like Christ did for us.  

The Dimmer: I hate to say but your right. You never been so right. (SMH).  What am I supposed to do? I can’t just leave Taylor. In the Word it says, that I shouldn't leave because Taylor is an unbeliever. (1 Corin. 7:12-14)

Friend: This is for people who are married. Being unequally yoked, it so much deeper than people think. It’s a lifetime of growing spiritually together and your lives molding into one. This will not happen if the two are not in agreement. The Bible continues to say if the unbeliever leaves, let them because God has called you to live in peace. (1 Corin. 7:15)

The Dimmer: What if I am the person that leads Taylor to Christ? What about the book of Hosea? God told him to seek after a prostitute.

Friend: That was Hosea's purpose. Did God tell you that was your purpose? And do you think you can lead Taylor to Christ without courting him?

The Dimmer: I don't know if that's my purpose. I never asked God. 

Friend: You know all you have to do is ask, be patient. and obedient regardless of the answer. I promise you He will never leave you. Just trust Him. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18)

The Dimmer is someone who is struggling in a relationship with his or her significant other, friend, or family member who is not a follower of Christ. Initially, we believe this is not an issue. It gets to the point that we have to suppress Christ so much that we draw ourselves further away from Him. We believe we are doing this to make our significant other feel comfortable. This is not true. Have you ever thought that we are really doing it for ourselves to save our relationship? Christ called us to be the light. We have to stop dimming our light to make others feel comfortable or for ourselves out of fear. God may have called you to be the light in your relationship or He may not have called you to do that at all. Either way, we should never have to dim our light for anyone. Let's decide today to not be a dimmer and live by our own understanding, but consult with God for His purpose over our lives.

#OldDimNewCreation 
Eph. 4:22-24

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