"Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith (your conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength! Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us)." - I Corinthians 16:13-14 (AMP)
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 7:12 (NASB)
"You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." -Matthew 10:22 (NIV)
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." -I Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 7:12 (NASB)
"You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." -Matthew 10:22 (NIV)
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." -I Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)
The world around us challenges us and our convictions in God's word. Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame and an advocate of the Bible's teachings states:
"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."
Sometimes we struggle balancing our convictions with "political correctness." We don't want to offend or close the door on an opportunity to share God's love because of a perception of intolerance. We allow a "convictionless" compassion or at least an indifferent compassion to take over our responses. However, when we do not express our convictions in a loving manner, they begin to fade and become lost.
We are all sinners. No human on Earth today is in a place to condemn or judge for eternity. We can disagree with the beliefs and actions of another person and we can share our beliefs and convictions, but our actions need to be rooted in love. We need to act out of love. God is love and He gives second chances. We need to plant the seeds of God's loving and caring nature and allow God to reveal Himself in us, around us, and through us.
We need to be on guard or on alert to be sure that our convictions are not eroded by the views of those around us, those in the media, or those with the loudest public voice. We need to protect our convictions and work for the Lord. There are times when this work will not win us friends, but it will be worthwhile in the end. We can complete this work with a spirit of love and compassion from God.
As Christians, we need to embrace the reassurance of our faith that we are to stand on the promises of God as found in His word. We are called not to hate or fear, but to guard our convictions and spread God's love to everyone. We can pray that God will open the hearts and minds of those we encounter so that they too can experience God's compassion and learn to appreciate the Truth of God's word.
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for providing a plan for our lives. Thank You for the convictions that You have given us. Please allow me to act with a spirit of compassion while standing on the Truth of Your word. Please open my heart and mind to hear Your guidance and open the hearts and minds of those I encounter so they, too, may experience your compassion, grace, and truth. In Jesus' name, who died to save us all, Amen.
"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."
Sometimes we struggle balancing our convictions with "political correctness." We don't want to offend or close the door on an opportunity to share God's love because of a perception of intolerance. We allow a "convictionless" compassion or at least an indifferent compassion to take over our responses. However, when we do not express our convictions in a loving manner, they begin to fade and become lost.
We are all sinners. No human on Earth today is in a place to condemn or judge for eternity. We can disagree with the beliefs and actions of another person and we can share our beliefs and convictions, but our actions need to be rooted in love. We need to act out of love. God is love and He gives second chances. We need to plant the seeds of God's loving and caring nature and allow God to reveal Himself in us, around us, and through us.
We need to be on guard or on alert to be sure that our convictions are not eroded by the views of those around us, those in the media, or those with the loudest public voice. We need to protect our convictions and work for the Lord. There are times when this work will not win us friends, but it will be worthwhile in the end. We can complete this work with a spirit of love and compassion from God.
As Christians, we need to embrace the reassurance of our faith that we are to stand on the promises of God as found in His word. We are called not to hate or fear, but to guard our convictions and spread God's love to everyone. We can pray that God will open the hearts and minds of those we encounter so that they too can experience God's compassion and learn to appreciate the Truth of God's word.
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for providing a plan for our lives. Thank You for the convictions that You have given us. Please allow me to act with a spirit of compassion while standing on the Truth of Your word. Please open my heart and mind to hear Your guidance and open the hearts and minds of those I encounter so they, too, may experience your compassion, grace, and truth. In Jesus' name, who died to save us all, Amen.
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