STANDING FIRM IN CHRIST

1 day ago

3 min read

by Khol Rotha, Joy Hostel, Cambodia.

During the month of May, I experienced one of the greatest spiritual challenges of my life.

At my university, our class was assigned a semester project to produce a short film. The theme was Pchum Ben, one of Cambodia's most important Buddhist festivals, during which people make offerings and dedicate merit to deceased relatives and spirits.

Our group had only eight members, so everyone had to take on multiple roles, including acting. One of my scenes required me to go to a pagoda, hold incense, make offerings, and participate in the Pchum Ben worship ceremony.

When we met to discuss the script, I explained that I could not participate in those scenes because I am a Christian. I was the only Christian in the group. I respectfully told them that I could not hold incense, make offerings, or bow in worship, even if it was only for the purpose of acting.

After I shared my concern, the room became silent. Then one group member became upset and accused me of discriminating against her religion. She said it was "only acting" and that some of her Christian friends would have done it without any problem. She also accused me of being narrow-minded and unwilling to understand other religions.

Her words hurt me deeply, but I tried to remain calm because I did not want to create conflict within the group. I explained that I was not discriminating against anyone. I simply wanted to remain faithful to my convictions as a follower of Jesus Christ. After a long discussion, the group finally agreed that I would not have to perform the worship scenes.

A week later, we travelled outside Phnom Penh to begin filming. Before we started, my group members prepared offerings, prayed, and took part in religious ceremonies at the pagoda. They prayed for safety, success, and a smooth filming process. I was the only one who did not participate because of my faith.

We spent two days and two nights filming. After we returned to Phnom Penh, an unexpected technical problem occurred. Nearly 60% of our footage had been lost. Everyone was discouraged because we would have to travel back and film everything again.

What hurt me the most was that some group members blamed me for what had happened. They believed the footage was lost because I had refused to join their religious ceremony. They said their gods were angry because I had not participated.

At that moment, I felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and afraid. I prayed and asked God why I was facing such a difficult situation. I wondered if I had done something wrong.

The following week, we returned to the same location to film again, and this time everything went smoothly.

A few days later, during our worship gathering at Joy Hostel, the message was titled "Standing Firm in Christ." The key verse was Matthew 5:37:

"Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil." Matthew 5:37 (ESV)

When I heard those words, I felt as though God was speaking directly to me. For weeks, I had been carrying fear, doubt, and pressure in my heart. I had been asking God whether I was wrong for standing by my convictions.

Through His Word, God reminded me that faithfulness matters. I realised that I had chosen to obey Him rather than give in to the pressure around me. Even though some people misunderstood me and even blamed me, I remained committed to my faith in Jesus Christ.

This experience taught me an important lesson: I must remain faithful to God no matter what challenges I face. Fear, pressure, and temptation will come, but God is faithful to strengthen those who trust in Him.