November 25
The Struggle Between
Faith and Popularity
“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
Luke 9:26 (NIrV)
Tonya sat at the table, her burger in front of her, the fries piled high on her plate. It was a typical Friday night at McDonald's with her family, but her mind was far from the food. She looked across the table at her friends, who were busy talking about the latest trends, the new movie everyone was watching, and the crazy TikTok craze everyone was doing. Tonya couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. She was a Christian, but it wasn’t something she liked to talk about. It just wasn’t cool, and she was tired of being seen as “different.”
She stared down at her meal and felt that familiar tug at her heart. Pray. Thank God for this meal. But she hesitated. She knew it wasn’t a bad thing to pray; it was just… awkward. What if someone notices? What if they judge me? The pressure was intense, and the last thing she wanted was to be the topic of conversation later—"Did you see Tonya praying before her burger?"
Tonya pushed the thought away, picking up a fry and trying to focus on her friends' conversation. Her heart still felt unsettled, but she didn’t want to be the “weird Christian.”
As they ate, she kept glancing over at her friend, Natalie. Natalie was sitting next to her, sipping on her soda and chatting about school. Tonya knew Natalie wasn’t really “religious,” or at least that’s what she thought. But the more Tonya listened, the more she realized that maybe she had misunderstood her.
Just as Tonya started to pick at her food, Natalie caught her eye, then glanced around. Without skipping a beat, she folded her hands together and bowed her head. "Dear God," Natalie said, her voice soft but confident. "Thank you for this meal, and for my awesome family. Amen."
Tonya stared at her, stunned. "Wait, what? You’re—praying?" she asked, her voice a little too loud.
Natalie just shrugged and popped a fry in her mouth like it was no big deal. "Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I?" She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I always pray before I eat. It’s just how I was raised."
Tonya blinked, still processing what had just happened. "But... you never said anything about being religious. You always seem so... chill."
Natalie smiled and leaned back in her seat, clearly not fazed by the attention. "Yeah, well, I guess I just don’t talk about it much. But, you know, I pray every night before bed. And I watch Christian YouTube videos. They help me figure stuff out, like how to deal with school and, you know, life in general."
Tonya’s mouth went dry. "You—what?" Her thoughts were spinning. Christian YouTube videos? She had no idea. Natalie, of all people, was actually really into her faith. "Why didn’t you ever tell me?"
Natalie shrugged again, totally relaxed. "I don’t know. It’s just not something I go around announcing, but it’s a big part of who I am. I don’t hide it, though. I mean, I’m not ashamed of it." She paused, her voice softening. "I think you should just own it, Tonya. If you believe in something, don’t hide it. Don’t be scared of what people think."
Tonya felt a mix of guilt and relief wash over her. She had spent so much time trying to blend in, to be like everyone else, that she had completely ignored her own faith. She had been afraid of standing out, afraid of the judgment. But hearing Natalie talk about her own quiet confidence made Tonya feel a spark of courage.
Maybe I don’t need to hide my faith, she thought. Maybe it’s not something to be embarrassed about.
In that moment, she realized that her fear of being different had held her back from truly embracing her beliefs. She had been afraid of standing out, but here was Natalie, casually praying at McDonald's and talking about faith like it was no big deal. If Natalie could do it, why couldn’t she?
Prayer:
Dear God,
I confess that I have been ashamed of my faith at times.
I’ve worried about what others think and let that fear stop me from being open about who I am in You.
Thank You for showing me that I don’t have to hide my beliefs.
Help me to be bold, to stand firm in my faith, and to trust that You are with me, no matter what others think.
Give me the courage to live out my faith proudly and openly, and to share Your love with those around me.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
