Get Holy or Die Tryin'

A good friend of mine, on a recent trip, saw a tie that had the words on it, "Get Holy or Die Tryin'". This was surrounded by the names of all the martyr's who had died for the faith.

He said he saw the tie and thought of me. While I appreciate it and think the tie is very cool, does he think I am destined to become a martyr? I haven't had a chance to ask him that question yet.

Maybe this is a questioned I should be asking Jesus, instead. Maybe this is a question I should be asking myself.

This tie has given me cause to reflect on all the martyrs throughout the ages and to contemplate on what it means to be a martyr.

What does it mean to die for one's faith?

Does martyrdom necessarily mean physical death?

Am I willing to die for my faith?

Am I willing to be different, to do the things that are counter-culture?

• Living within my means
• Having more than 2.3 children
• Homeschooling
• Affirming a culture of life
• Say no to material 'rights'
• Not working on Sundays to keep the sabbath

We can all make our own list of what it means to be counter-culture. Will we be thought of as weird and out of touch with reality? Sure, but it is only a temporal thing, a tiny blip in our eternal life. We are setting the foundation for our eternal life. Let's be willing to do the things now, that may cause us to die to self. To let the old self die away and to be transformed into the new person in Christ. We are crucified with Christ. We die to our old sinful selves and are made anew.