Yes. Its a beautiful day. Yes it is. See, that's faith. Your day might be going terribly or not too nice, but just say to yourself, "Its a beautiful day". Then and only then would you see the light at the end  within the tunnel, because its been there all along.

So,let's get to today's discussion.  So many people surrender to Jesus but do not fan the flames. Its like getting ready for the journey, getting into the car, starting the car then not moving an inch. Why? Persecution.

We are all afraid of what our friends will say. Especially if you're just out of your teens or in your late teens, social acceptance is pretty important. So being a radical, all-about-Jesus, "Say No to Sin" person can be pretty difficult. And for a day old Christian, confessing his faith to his friends is almost impossible.

Its understandable you know. These are the guys/gals you've been rolling with all this while. You guys have had fun times, great memories and a whole host of awesome moments. Then you heard Jesus call your name. The message felt good. You were convicted. You realised that serious Christianity was the way forward. The problem now is how to blend your new found faith with your friends.

Friends. Let's analyze that word. You see, friends should care about you. Friends should want what's best for you. If your friends see you getting better, they should be happy for you. Friends shouldnt hate on your decisions unless they have negative consequences. Basically friends should be happy you got born-again.

So, if you gotta group of friends that are hating on you for becoming a Christian, they were never really your friends anyway. If they laugh at you ,mock you, say you wouldn't last long, tempt you to fall back, they never really cared about you. And if they are hating on you for your now guided decisions, newsflash: THEY'RE JEALOUS.

It takes boldness to follow Jesus. It takes a lot of guts to choose to follow the Saviour. Very few people have such guts. You are one of them. If you got guts, the rest will hate on you. The bunch of liverless folks would do everything to break you. Because they want what you have. They want it so bad. They don't have the guts to get it. So they keep hating.

You gotta keep a safe distance from the haters. You gotta surround yourself with people who actually want to see you grow. You got to get new friends who are guided in the same direction you are. If not, you'll sink back down into the pit you just crawled out from. Your friends are jealous of you. They wanna see you fall. Don't give them the treat.

Truth be told, that may be one of the reasons why you got saved. To be the light that guides them towards heaven. One day, hopefully soon, they'll see you, get inspired, and climb out too. Keep moving. Fear not. Jesus is carrying you on his shoulders.