It has been heavy on my heart and mind for the last couple of days to write this post. I heard a message at church over the weekend that really spoke to my spirit and so I felt I needed to express it.
We live in a time of lies and deception. We are bombarded with a message that tells us that we mustn’t say or do things that others will be offended by. We are constantly told that we must be compromising so that everyone feels included and important. We are made to believe that when we express ourselves it must be in a way to appeal to everyone so that no one is turned away.
But it has occurred to me that we have been duped into believing that it is even possible to spread a message in such a way that everyone hears it and believes it and likes it. It isn’t. Did everyone listen to and believe Jesus when he was teaching and preaching? No they didn’t. There were some who were so threatened by his message that they had him arrested and put to death. There were those who just didn’t care to listen because they had other things that were more important at the time. But then there were those who were drawn to his message, listened to it, took it to heart and took action on it.
Those of us who are Christian Conservatives have been bullied into believing that our message is offensive to people and therefore it must not be talked about. We are called religious fanatics that are trying to force beliefs on others. We have been called racists, homophobes and many other derogatory names – all in the effort to clam us up because we are told that our message is hateful and harmful.
But is it?
I believe it is time for us to stand up. Not in such a way as to be rude or purposely offensive, but rather to stand on a foundation of love and truth. You can stand up and fight for what you believe in without being harmful to others. We are called to speak the truth. There are those who find the truth to be distasteful and they bully us for speaking it. Their ears and eyes are closed to the truth, and they are making a choice to turn away from it or to try and stifle it. But there are those who are seeking the truth and they are seeking it from those who will give it to them. They are the people we need to concern ourselves with and quit worrying about polarizing people. Sitting on the fence and walking down the middle of the road is no longer a viable option. We need to challenge people to make a decision.
I am a firm believer that the things being experienced in this country are far beyond political bickerings and differences of ideology.
It is a battle of good vs. evil.
Truth vs. lies.
Honesty vs. Deception.
It is time to decide what side you will be on and what you will do to spread the truth. It is time to decide if you will stand strong on the principles of your faith or will you allow yourself to be pushed aside out of fear that you will face opposition? Will you answer the call that Christ is placing on your heart or will you continue to ignore it because the world tells you it is wrong?
The time of difficult decisions is upon us. The time sitting on the fence and going whichever direction the wind blows is no longer.
You either stand up or you lie down.
You either rise to the challenge or you cower from it.
Choosing to stand does not mean that we run around and argue with everyone who disagrees with us or opposes us. It wastes precious time and precious energy. I truly believe – to the depths of my very soul – that we are to speak the truth on what is going on in such a way that people are forced to make a decision. Our words should inspire and empower – not tear down and weaken. We will face those who are as strongly opposed to the truth as we are in defending it – let them be. Focus your energy on those who are searching for the truth – and give it to them.
So what will you do?
