*Sigh*

And I thought I take sin too lightly sometimes...

I guess it was just kind of shocking to me. Not what those people were doing, but how other people treated it. I'm disappointed in them, honestly. I had thought that they stood for something more than that, but I guess not.

I didn't believe Val when he said I would see a different side of people, but I guess maybe he was right. Not that I've never seen that stuff, but it made me remember why I've worked so hard to watch where I go and who I hang out with. Last night just showed me that maybe I care about sin more than I thought I did, which is a good thing. I just don't understand how someone can stand up for someone else and protect them when they make the same mistakes over and over again. It's like they're just protecting the sin...saying "Yeah, what they're doing is wrong, but it's okay. They can't help it." And really, THAT'S wrong.

I don't know...it was interesting. I hate that I sound like some sheltered little goodie-goodie, but I suppose in reality that's what I am. I think I'm thankful for that, and I can only pray that I won't ever put myself in a position to defend someone else's sin, or my own for that matter.

Later.


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I just thought I would come back and clear this up a little, because I realize it's very confusing if you don't already know what I'm talking about. Tonight at youth group David's message struck my heart because of what I'm talking about in this very entry. He was talking about Romans chapters 1 and 12, and how the sins of the Romans are the very same sins of today, if not even MORE applicable. Romans 1:32 says "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Ouch. The second I read that verse tonight I knew I was in for a lesson from God.

Sunday night I went to the beach with some of my friends, but also with some people I don't normally hang out with. I wasn't really sure about it at first because I'm usually very careful about who I hang around, but I thought "Ehh, why not? It couldn't hurt to try hanging with some new people..." At first I was having fun and stuff, but then some of them broke out the alcohol and started smoking. After awhile, they were drunk and making out with each other and stuff, and I was completely blown away. However, not because of their actions necessarily--I've seen that stuff before. I was disappointed in the attitude that my friends had about it. They basically laughed it off, saying there was nothing you can do about it...it was whatever to them. I disagreed completely, especially when at least one was a relative of my friends. I felt like they should have cared more about what those people were doing to themselves rather than how they were going to hide it from their parents. It just kind of shocked me that the friends of mine that I thought I looked up to would have such a nonchalant view of something the bible teaches is so dangerous. Wow, that's a mouthful--sorry. At the time, I thought well, since I don't really know them, I can't really do anything about it. And maybe that's true to a degree, but looking back I feel like there were times where I could have taken a stronger stand against it.

Hopefully that makes things a little clearer without putting everyones business out there. While it certainly is not my job to be a tattletale and call people out on here, I certainly am not going to protect them by hiding what they were doing. Perhaps if they're that concerned they shouldn't have been doing it at all. And don't give me peer pressure as an excuse. It's a lame one, since there were others of us who didn't have anything to do with it. Don't beg me not to be mad at you. Yeah, I'm disappointed. Granted, I didn't expect much else, but I'm still disappointed.

And you all...I thought you stood for more than that?



God, please give me the courage to stand up for what's right when I need to. Help me put aside that fear of confrontation not only for you, but for the people who are sinning. Help me lose the fear of confronting MYSELF when I sin.
I love you God, and I'm sorry that I'm a lame witness for you so often.