I do not know if it has happened to you, but I always belong to the minority. Since I was a child I used to do things differently, it was one of those that preferred to read a good book than going out to climb trees, of which I kept the snack with a month of anticipation in my backpack, of which I talked about "big" topics with his mother and found many things absurd. As I grew, these differences began to manifest themselves in the different facets of my life, always trying not to go with the flow and even if it cost a lot, sometimes going against the hands of the clock. This behavior accompanies me to this day.
Among my group of friends, I am the one who does not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes; I am the one with a political opinion that is not usually the most popular; I am the one who has more fun watching a little movie in bed than in a disco dancing; I am the one who believes in marriage, in love for life; I am the one who believes in virginity until marriage, the one who thinks that God has man for her, no matter how loud the circumstances cry. I am one of those who pray before a problem, and the one who thanks God for everything he accomplishes; I am the one who has Christian music in his mp4 player, the one with the Bible next to the bed to start and end the day reading it; I am the one who speaks with God all day long and is sure that He hears her. I am the one who cries when he sees the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in full, the one who kneels and raises his hands. I am this and millions of other things that do not make me the most popular, but the most fulfilled.
At some point in my life, I thought I should hide all this and reserve it for the friends who shared this lifestyle with me, I thought that if I went to eat at another house it was not necessary to give the blessing of the food, and if I heard something with What I did not agree with was to keep quiet, but not now, now I do not think so.
We can not spend our lives apologizing for what we are or for what we believe, we can not hide our heads in the earth and pretend that the rest do not notice that we are there. I refuse to live my life apologizing for BEING someone who made other determinations in his life. I refuse to hide this that I am for fear of inconveniencing the rest or so that they do not feel intimidated by me. I chose to live a life in a certain way, in front of the possibility that God gave me to follow it. I said yes, and from that moment it does not matter how hard I try, I'm not the same anymore, I'm not the same anymore. If my friends are able to accept me with these differences recorded in fire, then I also have to do the same with them, without having to apologize for being in a certain way and without having to do them either.
God has given us freedom through his Spirit, that freedom allows me to BE as I am, just as I chose to live. The next time someone makes an uncomfortable comment or that is contrary to what you have as a conviction, do not be afraid or feel bad, do not justify or make excuses, live your differences and allow yourself to reflect Christ in EVERYTHING you do. Certainly He never apologized for being the "sent from heaven," or the "only begotten." Jesus always recognized who he was and did not care how the news came to others, He was commissioned to BE.
And you, do you still apologize for having Christ in your heart?