One weekend in Mississippi, I proudly wore cute new sandals to a Christian conference. My team and I took 30 college students to a two-day conference and we all stayed in the various rooms of a church building between meetings. 

That Saturday evening after the conference was over, I gathered up my sleeping bag and pillow so I could take them to my car. But just as I was about to go down the stairs, one small misstep sent me tumbling down the entire flight of stairs.

Thankfully, I landed on top of the soft things that I was carrying, so I was mostly okay. But my left foot was hurting terribly! 

Afterwards, all I could do was continue to sit in the same spot where I had landed. I kept waiting there, trying to muster up the courage to stand up. A sweet college student sat down on the floor next to me, keeping me company until I was able to get up. 

The next day, the pain became much worse as I hobbled my way to Sunday school class at church. Then that afternoon, I finally had no choice but to go to a medical clinic near my home. 

The staff at the clinic took an x-ray and told me that a bone in my foot was broken. It was the first time in my life that I’d ever had a broken bone. They put me in a boot and told me to walk with crutches for at least six weeks. 

Quite a few times over the years when I was sharing the Gospel with people, their reply would be, “I think Christianity is just a crutch!” 

Most Christians tend to react to this comment with, “No it’s not!” But then the remainder of their conversation can easily become a downward spiral between “Yes it is” and “No it’s not”. 

It’s hard to know what to say whenever someone says that Christianity is only a crutch. What do they mean when they say this?

One possibility is that they might simply be repeating something that they’ve heard someone else say. 

Or they may want to insult you because they look down on you for not being "strong enough" to handle the pressures of life on your own without outside help. 

They could be too prideful, leading them to refuse to believe in Jesus. 

They may be relying on their money, ambition, or sheer self-will to help them get through life. 

Some people think that they should take care of everything in their lives all on their own because it’s embarrassing or shameful to reach out for help. 

Should I have been ashamed because I needed help with my foot? Should I have told the doctor that he should just keep his boot and crutches because I can take care of myself?

A pastor once told an unbeliever, “You’re mistaken! Christianity is not just a crutch... it's a whole hospital!” 

How will you respond if someone tells you that Christianity is just a crutch?

Placing your faith in Christ is not just a way of getting temporary support when you are weak and in need of a way to cope with life’s problems.

When you choose to believe in Jesus, He will give you a brand new start and change your destiny forever! He knows exactly what you need!

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." -Colossians 1:13-14