The gray area that some of us have found comfort in is narrowing and each of us will someday have to take a stand and answer for the actions we have taken with our friends, in our relationships, at our workplace and in our homes. 

God created us and chose us for His eternal purpose.  He gave us the Holy Spirit and His power in order to live a life abundantly.  For us to receive the fullest extent of His gift, we must stand firm in our convictions.  

No man will be able to stand against you (Deuteronomy 11:25).

Know who your master is and whom you serve.  Stand up by standing firm.

Stand firm in your faith.

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Isaiah 7:9).

With unexplainable tragedies, relational confrontations, and unmanageable situations, I can’t imagine trying to live without faith in God.  I often wonder how a person with no faith gets through their life when I struggle each day with a solid foundation of faith.  It is a continual fight to stand firm in my convictions and beliefs, and to live a righteous life.

In the past decade, the two words that have probably impacted our society more than any others are political correctness.  It has become an obstacle for not sharing our faith, for not standing up for what we believe, and for not carrying out the mission God has set before us.  These two words have caused some to cower with the fear of speaking “incorrectly.”

Political correctness is a set of rules, which can change or be altered at any time in response to the climate in which it exists.  The “beauty” of this methodology (for society) is that anyone can adjust the rules on what is acceptable from moment to moment and situation to situation.  Living “correctly” becomes a subjective opinion rather than an ethical standard.

For the God-fearing Bible-believer, we should be living by moral correctness only dictated to us by God alone.  Our actions and beliefs should be based upon the written Word of God, and we must know and uncompromisingly live by what we believe.

True faith doesn’t allow any power to be given to doubt, despair, hopelessness, disbelief, impatience, or diffidence.  True faith doesn’t change by public opinion or by consensus.  True faith listens for the voice of God and lives by conviction.

Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13).

I can learn a lot from a dog’s loyalty, trustworthiness, and faithfulness to his master.  It all starts by learning to stay, sit, and stand firm.

Cliff Young is a contributing writer to Sandlot Stories (ARose Books), as well as the monthly column, "He Said-She Said," in Crosswalk.com's Singles Channel.  An architect and former youth worker, he now works with Christian musicians and consults for a number of Christian ministries. Got feedback?  Send your comments and questions to CYdmg@yahoo.com. 

**This article first published on May 28, 2009.