Christian Romano is Liberty Students first year-long Minister in Residence. Even though Christian is still in college and working at Chickfila on the weekends, he is making a tremendous impact on our student ministry team and in our middle school ministry. I’m honored to post his article to my blog. 

Have you ever asked yourself why you are currently doing all the things in your life right now? Whether it is going to school, working, or hanging out with a certain group of people. Well these were and sometimes are questions that I ask myself. My name is Christian Romano and I am 21 years old living in Hampton Roads VA. I have four brothers and two wonderful parents. Currently I work at my Church as a Minister in Residence which is a pastor in training and I love my job. I am also a full time student and I know that this is the season of life that I am in right now but one question that I am constantly asking myself is why am I doing this right now? Why should I continue doing the same thing every week? The biggest thing that I have learned during this stage of life is what the “Why” is behind what I am doing. What I mean by this is what is the purpose or reason I am working two jobs, living in Hampton Roads and why am I in school. 

I watched a very encouraging video recently where Buster Douglas revealed the purpose of why he kept getting up in the fight. Douglas was fighting Mike Tyson and Mike was beating him very badly. He kept knocking him down and finally he was saved by the bell. After the bell rang Douglas went into his corner and came out ready for more. Everyone in the crowd was saying that he was going to go back out there and Mike was going to knock him out in one hit, but that is not what happened at all. Before the fight his mother was telling everyone that her son was going to beat Mike Tyson but before she could see the fight she passed away. Douglas got up and went out there and gave it his all, all the while he remembered his mother and ended up beating Mike. The reason and purpose behind his fight was the motivation to the perseverance through the fight.

A question I have asked myself lately is: what is the purpose behind the things that I am doing? Why am I in school? Why am I working as a Minister in Residence? Why am I working at Chick-fil-a? Why am I living in Hampton Roads? What is the reason behind why I am doing what I am doing? I have been convicted that the reason that I do what I do isn’t for myself, but rather to glorify God. In Matthew 5:14-16 it says

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Those of us who are believers are like a lamp, and as a lamp we need to be a light to the world. This passage is a very challenging one for me in that it presents a way of life, or a way in which we as believers should live. It states that we need to let our light shine before men so they see our good works, give glory to our Father, and ultimately that the Father is seen through our good works.

One thing that the Lord has revealed to me is that no matter what I am doing I am doing it for the Jesus. I am going to school to be a Student Pastor one day and I am doing that for Jesus. Right now all the busyness and the struggles that I am going through are to bring glory to Jesus to show that He is steadfast, He is the one that gives strength, and ultimately it is only through Him that I am able to do everything I am doing.

Ask yourself why it is that you are where you currently are. Is it for your own gain? Or, is it to show the glory of God to those around you? I want to encourage you to pray and ask God to reveal this answer to you so that He may use you for His glory.

@romanoc94