Two Kinds of Christians
I feel like there are two different types of Christians. You have the Christians who have lighter experiences and only know Christianity to be graceful and filled with blessings. Nothing goes wrong as long as you pray; God always forgives as long as you repent. Their lives seem perfect; they don't have many stories to tell that would shock you. They almost even look like the perfect embodiment of what a Christian should be, in my opinion. Then you have those Christians who have horror stories on a regular basis. Every other conversation is about spiritual attacks. How did they not sleep because the warfare was crazy and lasted the whole week. How, when they came to Christ, it was almost a near-death experience. Literally two different worlds, but both groups have the same goal: to worship God and be in his will.
Sometimes I wonder which one of these Christian groups is truly living out the Christian life. Is it the ones that have it easier and can only spread the gospel, because they've never doubted their lives and purpose? They don't have encounters that make them ask God, why? They go to church, sing hymns, and come back to a predictable outcome. In fact, some of these people don't even believe in the demonic. They're more about prosperity; could you blame them? That is all they know. Thank God for his grace. Then you have those who have unusual stories and have battled with their faith. They go through things that are unheard of and would make your skin curl up.
They're the ones who have to face demonic attacks on exorbitant levels. They could tell you things about spirituality that only God could reveal to you. The knowledge that comes with deep prayer, fasting, and overwhelming experiences. In this category, I have found that some of these people come from a demonic background and God brings them out. The other half already had the calling to commence deliverance at birth and experienced intense demonic attacks because of it. It almost feels like they have to fight 10 X harder for anything to work. I believe I fit into the second category. It's to the point where I can relate to Elijah in the Bible. He went through so much that he fell into a depression. Not because he was a horrible person and deserved it but because it was his calling. I do not necessarily know the entirety of my calling, but I am working with God every day to understand his will.
In conclusion, both of these groups are Christians and represent different aspects of the Christian lifestyle. It's just fascinating to see how everyone's cross is different and the reality it creates within the Christian body. The world needs these two groups of Christians I am talking about. They can relate to people on different levels and meet the needs of the individual seeking God uniquely. I have had this observation in my head for a while now.
1 Kings 19:10
He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’
Pearl