Paige Rogers
Jackson Academy | First Presbyterian Church of Jackson
A Situation Where I Lived Out My Faith
When I was in seventh grade, our Girl Scout troop was striving for the Silver Award. I discovered Neighborhood Christian Center as a means to obtain the 15 hours of community service that were required. Each Tuesday, I would go to First Presbyterian and work with young (between first and fifth grades) students from Jackson Public Schools. I would help them with their homework, but more importantly get to know them—as a friend and a sister in Christ. After my 15 hours were over, I realized that NCC was an incredible organization and I couldn’t find the same kind of feeling anywhere else. That’s why I’ve turned those 15 hours into six years of love for all of those students.
Favorite Scripture
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it,” (1 Corinthians 10:13). My dad gave me my grandmother’s old Bible, and inside it she had several passages marked. I was flipping through it one day when I discovered this particular verse underlined with a star by it. I realized that it really applied to my life at the time, as it does now. The truth is, every day we go through trials—tests of our faith. Even things that seem to be unbearably tempting really aren’t intolerable at all with God on our side. We’re never alone, and we’ll never be tempted above what we can handle. In the world that we live in, that’s a very comforting feeling.
Living a Distinctly Christian Life in a World That Is Hostile to My Faith
In the world that we live in, it’s becoming harder and harder to live a Christian life. The world looks for answers that are politically correct—that accept everyone. That’s why so many people have a problem with Christianity. “It’s too exclusive,” some might say. Because of this, some people have completely thrown Christianity out the window; some have adopted the idea that there are many ways to heaven. But those that believe this, are forgetting what Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me,” (John 14:6). As a Christian, I plan to stand firm in this belief. The way to heaven is narrow. It’s tough meeting really great people from other religions, and knowing that they won’t find peace without Jesus. All I can do is pray and hope that I can be a good witness to others who haven’t found Him yet.
