Not Ashamed of Faith in Real Life
It’s interesting how faith often shows up first in the small, quiet moments of life. Not in front of people or in some big public way, but in places where no one is really paying attention.
It’s one thing to say you’re not ashamed of faith—but another to live that out in those quiet moments.
For me, that played out in the firehouse bunk room.
A New Faith in an Old Environment
I became a Christian at 36. Like a lot of people who come to faith later, I was trying to figure out what it actually meant to follow Christ while still living the same life I had been living. I was still working in the fire service, still around the same guys, still in the same environment.
Nothing outward had really changed yet—but something inside had.
So I started doing small things. I would bow my head quietly before meals and give thanks, and I would read my Bible at night before going to sleep in my bunk. It wasn’t anything I was announcing—I was just trying to learn and understand what this was all about.
The Quiet Temptation to Hide
But even in those small moments, something started to surface pretty quickly.
I became aware of who might be watching.
If I heard someone coming into the bunk room upstairs, I remember putting my Bible away. Not because I didn’t believe—but because, if I’m honest, I didn’t want to be seen doing it. There was a hesitation there I didn’t fully understand at the time.
And then I came across this verse:
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory…”
— Luke 9:26 (NIV)
That verse has a way of getting your attention without needing a lot of explanation.
It’s not a casual statement. It draws a clear line.
Not about being loud or drawing attention to yourself—but about not quietly distancing yourself from Christ when it would be easier to blend in.
It made me stop and realize something I hadn’t fully seen before:
Hiding your faith, even in small ways, is still a form of stepping back from Him.
That hit differently.
It’s easy to say you’re not ashamed of faith—but it shows up in how you actually live.
Not Persecution—But Still a Test
Now to be clear—what I experienced in the firehouse wasn’t persecution. Not even close.
The fire service is a brotherhood. The joking, the sarcasm, the back-and-forth—that’s just part of how guys deal with the stresses of the job. I remember one time, lying in my bunk, reading my Bible, when I heard a couple of guys walk by and quietly joke, “You sinner.” I knew it was directed at me, and I actually smiled to myself at first—but then it hit me, and I felt a little embarrassed. It wasn’t mean-spirited. That’s just how guys talk.
And honestly, there was a part of me that remembered doing the same thing before I became a Christian. There was a guy on my shift I really liked—someone I later went to when I had questions about faith—and I remember at times joining in with the other guys, calling him a “Jesus freak,” thinking it was just harmless humor, because I didn’t really understand his faith at the time.
So when it came back around on me, there was almost a quiet sense of, “Yeah… you probably had that coming.”
The Real Battle
But what stood out more than anything wasn’t what anyone else was doing—it was what was going on inside me.
That quick instinct to hide. That moment where you think, What are they going to think?
Even now, that feeling can show up for a second. But it doesn’t stay long anymore. It gets corrected almost immediately.
I catch myself and think, What are you doing? Honor God. Don’t be ashamed. Look what Jesus did for you.
Because when you really think about it—after what Christ did for me—stepping back just doesn’t make sense anymore.
And that settles it.
That tension—between stepping back and standing firm—is real, but it’s also where you begin to understand what it means to trust Christ with the weight you’re carrying. I wrote more about that here: My Yoke Is Light: Giving Your Burdens to Him.
What Quiet Faith Actually Does
What I didn’t expect was what happened over time.
I didn’t push anything on anyone. I didn’t try to turn every conversation into something spiritual. I just stayed consistent and didn’t hide it anymore.
And guys noticed.
Not in some big, obvious way—but gradually. There were still some jokes here and there, but they felt less like a jab and more like acceptance. It settled into a quiet respect, and at times opened the door to real conversations.
Guys would come to me and talk. Not in front of everyone—but one-on-one. They would share things they were going through, ask questions, or just want to talk things out.
That part surprised me.
The Balance
Looking back, I think there’s an important balance that becomes clear.
You don’t have to force your faith into every conversation. But at the same time, you’re not meant to hide it when it naturally shows up in your life.
There’s a difference between pushing something on people and quietly standing in what you believe.
The Reality Most of Us Face
Most of us, especially here, aren’t facing real persecution. But we do face something else—those small moments where it would be easier to stay quiet, to blend in, or to avoid being noticed.
And those moments matter more than we realize.
Not because they’re dramatic—but because they’re honest.
Where This Really Lands
Faith often reveals itself in those quiet decisions.
The decision not to hide.
The decision to stay steady.
Choosing to honor God—even when it would be easier not to.
A Simple Question
So maybe the better question isn’t whether we would stand firm in some big moment.
It’s what we do in the small ones.
Not Ashamed—Where It Matters Most
Jeremy Camp – “I’m Not Ashamed” — this song hits it straight.
“I’m not ashamed of the Gospel… I’m not ashamed of Jesus Christ.”
No hesitation. No backing off.
That’s really what this comes down to—not making a show of it, but not stepping back from it either.
It’s a reminder that even if you’re the only one in the room living it out… it’s still the life worth living.
Take a listen below.
More Straight Talk on Faith
Want More Real-Life Faith?
Looking for more straight talk about faith—without the sugarcoating?
If you’re searching for real-life encouragement and honest faith, check out my book, YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE: Christianity… From a Firefighter’s Perspective. It’s a short, straightforward read—something I wrote for regular folks, maybe especially guys, who want a no-nonsense look at faith that applies to real life. I often think of it as my own “tract”—just a simple way to point people to hope and honor God.
If it rang true for you or made a difference in your life, leaving a quick review on Amazon may help someone else who’s looking for the same kind of hope.
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