When Faith Costs Something

By: Bobby Lehmann

Monday, October 12, 2026

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32

On April 20, 1999, Columbine High School experienced a terrible tragedy. It left families grieving, survivors carrying painful memories, and their community was forever changed. It began as an ordinary school morning, but it became a day filled with devastating violence. When we remember Columbine, we must do so with compassion—not simply as a story filled with lessons, but as a real tragedy that involved real people. Those lives mattered, and the heartache of that loss continues to be felt.

In the years that followed, stories of faith from that day caused many Christians to wrestle with a difficult question: What would I do in that situation... when taking a stand for Christ might cost me my life? It's easy to imagine ourselves fearless when the test is only hypothetical, but real courage is different. Fear can make our heart race, and our minds desperately search for a safe exit. Taking a stand for Christ doesn't mean we aren't afraid, it means we won't allow our fear to overrule who we belong to

Most of us will never experience anything like Columbine, and our everyday struggles should never be compared with such suffering. But we may all face moments when our faithfulness might cost us something. It might be rejection, embarrassment, popularity, or approval because we are choosing to live openly for Jesus.

The courage to stand for Christ is usually built long before the difficult moment arrives. It grows quietly through prayer, reading scripture, obedience, and by making small choices when no one is watching. Each time we choose Christ over compromise, our spiritual roots grow deeper. Every quiet act of obedience helps our heart remain faithful when the pressure to conform increases.

Then, when our faith gets tested, the deepest question has already been answered: Who do I belong to? Jesus!

Have you ever been tempted to hide your faith because of fear or peer pressure? What small choices can you make to strengthen your faith before a much harder moment comes? Don't wait for a test like Columbine to decide who you belong to. Settle it in your heart today.

Lord, comfort those who carry the wounds of tragedy. Teach me never to treat another person’s suffering lightly. Make my faith sincere and my heart compassionate. When following You becomes difficult, give me the courage to always remain faithful. When fear tells me to hide, remind me who I am and who I belong to. Amen.

Jesus, let my life clearly and courageously say: "I belong to You."