II Timothy 3:12-15 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Where do you stand? What are your convictions? There is a whole, big mess of a world today, and if you don’t know who you are (a child of God), what you stand for, where your convictions reside, you are going to get swallowed up in the filth. And that ain’t good, my friends!
God has a plan for you, a purpose, His purpose. Do you believe that? You better, because it is truth. God tells us over and over, throughout scripture. A key element of that purpose is being representative of God, loving Him first, above all, and illustrating that.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Straight from the lips of Jesus Christ, we have here a command. Let our lives serve as a testament to God’s eternal glory! What’s that look like? Simple, if it gives you pause, if you know that you wouldn’t do that or say that if Jesus were standing next to you, don’t, because He IS standing next to you! In addition, you are His reflection in the mirror of this world. When others see you… hear you, let it be Him. You never know the impact God has meant that to have on another’s spiritual health. When you fall on your face, ask His forgiveness, pray for strength to get back in the fight and assistance from Him to combat it more effectively next time. Engage in the battle. When you feel God compelling you to a course of action, a thought, a phrase, engage!
Since man’s fall, the world has been an evil, dangerous place, no question. Recently, however, it feels as though the insanity is multiplying exponentially. Daily, christians are facing an ever increasing frontal assault. The voice of opposition grows louder and louder in an all out attempt to bully you and I into silence. Satan wants to shame us, shut us up, crush our confidence and render us utterly inconsequential. Where do you stand? When faced with opposition or opportunity, are you resolute? Are you heeding God’s call in your day to day life or are you shrinking away, staying silent? In those moments, opportunities, that God places before us, we must prayerfully ask, “how would you have me proceed Lord?” Then, we must act. We must represent the love and glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Temper the anger, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to the course you should take.
Go out in to this difficult, hostile world, stand resolute and representative of God. Do not be bullied, do not stay silent, be bold and courageous. Remember, you ride on His shoulders! I’m going to leave you with some words from the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Have a blessed weekend!
In full pursuit of the greatest Trophy,
Scott Pace
