by Judy Stewart - Granville Ohio

In today’s society, there are people who are always for, or against something. Someone who is ready to stand up for what they believe in.

This is a characteristic of a person who believes so strongly, that they are willing to risk all to share those convictions with others.

Sometimes, those convictions are borne from personal experience. We have been made aware of many things occurring in our country. Missing children, drugs, immorality and a varied assortment of other SINS.

Stories from those who have gone through these sins, either the ones they committed or those committed against them. These stories will help others who are going through the same situations. Rather than succumbing to the pain, guilt and other emotions, people who share what they have been through not only helps them deal with it, but helps others who are having trouble dealing with it.

Most changes in society have resulted from the convictions of one person, or a group of persons who never kept their convictions confined to the conversation stage, but instead, put action to their conviction. Their convictions, their stand brings about an effect that brings about changes.

Have you ever found yourself in a discussion with someone who knows just what to do to feed the starving, or raise the level of employment. Some of their ideas may be good, but why is it that nothing ever changes? Maybe it’s because that even the best of ideas are nothing but ideas until action is coupled with those ideas.

It takes a lot of courage, and even more effort, to take an idea and bring it to reality. You have to stand up against dis-approval and dis-belief. If your idea is truly original, it is likely someone will oppose it.

Imagine the reaction of a midieval person to the statement that the world is round. He would argue til his deat that it was flat and that if you go past a certain pont, you would fall off the edge of the world. It took a man with a vision and courage, Christopher Columbus, to have the courage not only to say that the earth was round, but also willing to prove it by putting his own life in jeapordy and sail to the edge of the earth.

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake as a religious heretic because she claimed that God told her to become the leader of the French armies against the English. Later, the same clergy who condemned her to death, made her a Saint.

Because these people were willing to stand up and die for their beliefs, change was brought about. The maps had to be revised due to the stand of Christopher Columbus and Joan of Arc made religious and world history.

Too many times, we’re afraid to stand up for our beliefs. Though our beliefs may be important enough to stand up for, we sometimes back away from those beliefs because of fear. Fear of ridicule, fear of failure and at times, even fear of success.

We have an obligation to listen to others. Listen to their beliefs objectively. We must be encouraging to the worthwhile ideas, and tolerant of those not so good ideas.

Those of us with strong ideas must be willing to stand up for those ideas as well as having the wisdom to know when those ideas are not so strong.

It is important to stand firm when you are right, and equally important to acknowledge when you are wrong. Do not allow anyone to cause you to back away from your ideas. At the same time listen to others who might strengthen your ideas or even show you they are wrong.

We must stand for something. In the book of James, it says that a double minded man will be unstable in all his ways.

How does Jesus feel about those of us who straddle the fence? Those who want to stay with the popular tide of opinion rather than say what they truly believe.

In the book of the Revelation, chapter 3, verses 15 and 16, Jesus said: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”.

Stand up for your beliefs. One day, perhaps soon, you may have to die for your beliefs. It’s already happening in some countries. ARE YOU READY FOR THAT? I hope so!

STAND UP FOR GOD, OR DIE FOR NOTHING!