Know What You Believe

What do you believe? Or maybe the better question is: could you tell someone why you believe what you believe? The numbers suggest that the majority of Christian high school students in America don’t. According to a study done by the Barna Group, “65 percent of high school students stop attending church after they graduate.” Most of us have an idea of what we believe, but we don’t know why we believe it. The Bible says to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV) Students who believe their faith is solid arrive at a rude awakening in college. Their faith is challenged by hard questions, such as, “Why would a good God allow evil and suffering?” Or they are told that religion is blind faith and there is no evidence to support it. They begin to question their faith. But true faith in God is evidence based. Contrary to the atheistic taunts, the evidence for God is overwhelming. As we enter universities across the country, we should be influencing the campus for Christ, not being turned away from God because of our lack of knowledge. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.” In countries across the world, Christians are willing to die for their faith. They know what they believe, why they believe it, and take a stand. This should be our reality as well. Know what you believe, but more importantly, know why you believe it.