Jesus Freak

A few weeks ago, my mother gently questioned me about the prevalence of my faith on social media. I asked her if she was worried I was becoming a Jesus freak and she (kinda) jokingly said yes. She wasn’t being judgmental, moreover was simply concerned about my image. Understandably so, my mother is not used to seeing me profess praise for the Lord (I was saved a mere 8 months ago).

Her concern was coming from a place of love. She didn’t want me to be misunderstood or poorly perceived and I so appreciate the consideration she has for me (love you Momma!). However, I felt the need to try and explain myself to her because I didn’t want my own mother to misjudge me.

I think this is a fear many Christians struggle with; the fear of being judged. We withhold offering prayers because we’re worried we might offend someone. We only say things like “God bless you” or “have a blessed day” to other believers because we know they won’t give us that look of utter confusion or disgust. We refrain from telling people outside of the church all the things God speaks to us about because we think they might brush us off as mentally ill. Sometimes we focus more on how we’re perceived in the eyes of people instead of the eyes of our Lord.

But what exactly are we afraid of? The Lord tells us that He is with us and that with Him, there is nothing “mere mortals” can do to us! (Psalm 118:6) We shouldn’t fall to the devil’s tricks and be scared to love. Instead, we should rest in the Lord and find confidence in Him! He has called us to love others, not to love others when we think they aren’t going to judge us for it, probably (hopefully.) We cannot let our egos get in the way of our faith.

Although the connotation of “Jesus freak” is negative, it implies someone is completely immersed in their faith. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not gonna argue with a reputation of having “too much” faith! Honestly, I strive to be a Jesus freak. I want my entire life to be revolved around Him. What better way to succeed than to let yourself be consumed by the Holy Spirit?

So this is my encouragement for you today, child. Ask people how you can pray for them. Bless a stranger in the name of the Lord. Openly share the ways God speaks to you with the world. Remind others just how much God loves them. And the next time someone calls you a Jesus freak, smile, because it’s a compliment.