Day 2255 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


1 Thessalonians 2:4 NIV

You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. That was a line from this old country song that I heard a bunch when I was kid. But it stuck with me all this time. I think it took root because it's just the truth. Sadly there are a lot of people who don't stand their ground anymore. Many are okay with bouncing from one movement to the next without really caring about anything. Conviction is one of those dying traits in our world.

It seems like everyone just wants to fit in and be accepted. And they'll do or say whatever it takes to make it happen. It's a scary thing to lose yourself and what you believe so that you can please other people. I guess some feel like they need that justification to find their worth. But no matter how hard you may try to fit in and be liked by others, there will always be someone who doesn't like you or agree with what you have to say.

That's why we need to find our backbone. We need to have such strong convictions about our faith that nothing can shake it or make us question ourselves. If we remain so feeble that we can't stand up for what we know to be right then what are we doing here? Trying to please people who are no different than we are? Trying to earn praise that gives us nothing? Why live for something so hollow and trivial?

If we're living for God and doing what we know is right then it won't matter who likes it or who agrees with it. If our focus is loving others and pointing them to Christ then it doesn't matter if it's popular or acceptable. The opinions of this world do not matter! We're all carrying a message that goes against the rampant sin and debauchery of this place. So yeah, they're not going to like us!

Let them hate the messenger, they can't stop the message! Let them judge you for your faith or how differently you live. Let them look down on you and brand you an outsider because you don't go along with they say and do. Wear that as a badge of honor! As this verse reminds us, it's God who tests our hearts. So if our hearts are in the right place and we're living for His purpose then we're doing just fine no matter what anyone else may think!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 1996 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Image
Isaiah 44:22 NIV Redemption: To compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something; to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment; or to fulfill or carry out a pledge or promise. Our God is so big that He fits every definition of the word! We've been talking about how we don't have to be lost in doing things our own way forever and how He will welcome us back whenever we finally realize we need Him more than anything else. Redemption is why. All of our mistakes, all our weaknesses, all our excuses have been washed away. There is literally nothing left between us and God except for us. We are all that remains in the way of the healing and forgiveness that we need. Seriously, all that stands in our way of the peaceful and joyous freedom we're looking for is our choice to turn back to Him. That's it! I think that one of the biggest hurdles we face in making that choice is that it truly seems impossible. Whether we openly admit them or not, we all kno
Read more

Day 2317 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Image
Proverbs 16:18 NIV Most, if not all of us have this innate problem that we've developed. Maybe it's a result of living in a world that has nearly no concept of wrong. Maybe it's just a product of our deceitful minds wanting to do whatever we want without having to weigh the consequences. Whatever the reason, we've somehow gotten it in our minds that we're incapable of making mistakes. We've become conceited to the point that we actually believe that we never get anything wrong. And while that may make us feel good, there's no avoiding the truth that tells us otherwise! Each of us make the wrong choices. We jump to conclusions. We take things out of context. We rush through things. We assume that we know what someone else is talking about without making sure. We answer before we hear the full question. We hear things that someone else doesn't necessarily say. We let things slip out of our mouths that we may not really mean. We give in to selfishness witho
Read more

Welcome to The Forge!

Image
Welcome to The Forge! This page is all about God, our faith in Him, and finding our way back to the truths and principles found in His Word. As I'm sure many of you have noticed, the world is losing its mind. Sin is celebrated. Wrongs are viewed as right. What's right is out the window and seldom considered. Popularity is the driving force behind many actions. Being politically correct is the norm and anything else is just not acceptable.  Well, none of that nonsense flies in The Forge. We are stronger t han the pressures of the world around us. We are tougher than the pull of sin. We are called to rise above the fog of this hate-fueled judgment that the world is covered in. God didn't create us as timid little beings that need to be led around by our noses. He designed us to do better than simply go with the flow. No, He made us much different than that. He made us to be leaders, He created us to go against the grain, live outside the lines, and stand tall and hold firm to
Read more