One of the things I have notice recently is that nobody seems to stand for anything. Tolerance and compromise are the name of the game.
Now, before we go on, let me clarify. The opposite of tolerance and compromise is not legalism. Rules and regulations.
But standing strong in the midst of a weak world is a calling that we all have in our lives.
I love the story of Daniel and the three teenagers.
The Bible tells us in Daniel 3:17-18, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
Decisions are around us each and everyday. Some decisions are hard, while others are quite easy. How are we especially at making decisions that will determine our obedience in standing up for what we believe? I'm sure none of us have been thrown into a blazing inferno like Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, but we still face times of decisions in which it's hard for us to stand up for what is right.
As I think of my own life, I can look back and see so many times where I could have stood up firm for Christ, but chose to keep my mouth shut and go along with the crowd. How that must have hurt and broken my Savior's heart.
Sad thing is, really, that many times we don't even flinch after having gone along with the crowd. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I was one of those boys about to be thrown into a furnace.
This reminds me of the song, "This Is Your Time" by Michael W. Smith. He talks about how Cassie Bernall had a gun to her head and STILL proclaimed her faith and died for her belief in God. The first line of the song says, "It was a test we would all hope to pass, but none of us would want to take......Faced with the choice to deny God or live, but for her there was one choice to make."
Can you look through your past week, months, or even years and remember times you went along with the crowd because standing up firm for your faith would have caused you humiliation or even a severe consequence?
It makes me cringe that most of us probably will never face a blazing inferno in which we're threatened to be thrown into for not going along with the crowd, but that we still struggle with humiliation and ridicule. I'm amazed at how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego displayed their faith in God and went through what could have ended their lives. They decided to obey God, whether or not they would physically die. But God protected them from the fire(which was heated 7 times hotter than normal).
We want to say that we would choose to obey God in a test of this magnitude.......but would we? So maybe the question should really be phrased to each one of us as, "What 'blazing inferno' keeps us from standing up strong for God"?
Let's stand strong today for Jesus. As the old hymn of the church states, "stand up, stand up for Jesus."
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Hey, thanks for coming back to blogging in the morning...sometimes I would miss the afternoon and have to go a whole day without.
I also can recall many times in the past (and not too distant, for that matter) where I kept quiet and went along. And those times do hurt our Savior and they do hurt us, because it's against the Word. Jesus wants us to stand for Him and to publicly affirm that we are sons and daughters of Christ. We need to do that when we are faced by the fire but we also need to do that when the fire is nothing but a match...because, as the country song goes, "If you don't stand up for what you believe in, then you'll fall for anything." So, even in the minor stuff (is there minor stuff in this regard?) let's stand; when the fire gets hot, let's stand; when the fire is nuclear, let's just stand!
Reading this, I'm reminded of a time not too long ago where I was at an unsaved friends house just hanging out with a bunch of my old friends from high school. They wanted to do shots (yes, they all drink) and our host got up and fixed them. He came back to the table and placed one in front of everyone except me. I toasted with Pepsi! Later that evening, talk turned to lingerie (don't ask me how, it just did...that's how it works with some of these guys, a few drinks and women get in the mix!) and my host just happened to get a catalog that day. It circled the table but skipped me by his hand (and by His hand as you'll see) and then was put away. When it was just the host and me left, I thanked him for not putting pressure on me with the shot or the magazine and he said, "I respect your stand for Christ. I support what you're trying to do in your life. And I love you, so why would I do less?" I reminded him of our other friends, who do sometimes make an issue of my stand and my faith, to which he replied, "They don't matter...you do!" Very touching, wouldn't you say? Nowadays, he's taking his daughters to Mass and talking with them about Christ. Has he made a commitment yet? Not truly but I believe that he's on his way. So we talk and try to support each other...we'll see if I can be used by God's hand for him as he was for me.
Just stand folks...just stand! And when things get hard, just stand firm! And when things get impossible, stand immobile in the grace and faith of God!!
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength, and spirit. He will never disappoint you!
May God bless and keep you.
Jon
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