Soldiers for Christ

"Be strong in the Lord with His energy and strength. Put on the whole armor of God to be able to resist the cunning of the devil. Our battle is not against human forces but against the rulers and authorities and their dark powers that govern this world. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that in the evil day, you may resist and stand your ground, making use of all your weapons." - Ephesians 6:10-13

Friday night, three of my friends and I drove out to the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, Long Island. Every 3rd Friday of the month they hold a holy hour for young adults and I had never attended before. We got there a few minutes late and when we opened the doors to the chapel, my eyes immediately fell on the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. The room was completely full of young people but one would never know because all the lights were off, except for one shining brightly on the altar. We were given candles to hold on to as we were escorted to our seats in the front of the room. I'm used to attending prayer groups with older people, but this was so different. I couldn't see the people in the dark, but I felt their energy, their passion for Christ, and most importantly, their reverence. Soon after we were seated, a priest spoke to us about witnessing for Christ and how important our testimonies are for people. He was followed by a nun in her late 20's who spoke so beautifully about her decision to become a nun and then by a 21 year old seminarian who also spoke about giving his life to God. The amazing thing about them is that they led lives like you and I, surrounded by friends and so many things, but they sought for something much deeper, much more fulfilling. After they were done speaking, we were led to sing "Here I Am," a song about listening to God's call and allowing Him to lead us. When it was all over, seminarians came to light our candles and in the cold night, we were led outside, praying and singing as we went along.

To the outside world, this seems nuts, but while I was there, all I kept thinking about was how lucky I was to have been called by God to be there that night, in His presence and with people who know how important it is to be His witness. The 21 year old seminarian said that we need to be soldiers for Christ and nothing can be more true. We need to live this passion and stir up the power of God. God isn't just peace and blessings on Sunday mornings, but He's a storm of emotions that take us over and we're never the same again… we can never be the same again. God is the fire that needs to fuel our lives and the world will never ever know that or experience it, or even believe in it unless we really choose to let ourselves go and let God lead us. Life is much, much more than work, school, dinner dates, music… life is about being connected to one another and being a catalyst for change, bringing out the best in people, and only through Him can we ever achieve that. Stir the Holy Spirit up inside you and live on fire… take a chance and let Him lead you. Be a soldier for Christ! Be a witness for Christ!

Today's Prayer:
God, here I am. I place myself before You and I ask You to lead me. What You ask of me, I will do. Choose me, Father, to do Your will in this world and to take care of Your people. I am here, Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.