STANDING UP FOR OUR FAITH

One reason we do not mature in our walk with the Lord is our fear of standing up for our faith at home, school, workplace, or even with unsaved families and friends. We tend to hide our faith in the Lord for fear that we will be judged, rejected, made fun of, or offend someone. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" The reason we are afraid of standing up for our faith is that we are still focusing our attention on ourselves, which is self-centeredness. The solution to our fear is to set our eyes on God instead of ourselves. The more we focus our eyes on Jesus, the less we think about ourselves. When the Apostle Peter walked on water, his eyes were focused on Jesus, but the moment he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. He had to cry out to Jesus to save him in order for him not to drown (Matthew 14:22-33). 

As believers in our Lord Jesus, we should not be afraid to express our faith because, by doing so, the people around us can see that we follow God. When others find out that we are Christians and we follow God, they may respect us, and most importantly, it protects us from compromising our faith. As we stand for our faith, other Christians who are struggling with their faith can be encouraged by our presence. God can use us to show His love and share the gospel. If it happens that those who are unsaved people begin to make fun of us or mock us because we are standing in our faith, we need to remember what Jesus said, "The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you (John 15:19)." They may not like us now, but once their eyes opened to the truth of God, they will accept and thank us for standing up for our faith.

Let us pray that God will give us the courage to stand up for our faith wherever we are. Let us focus our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves so that we can overcome our fear and have peace in standing up for our faith in God. In due time, everybody will know the truth that Jesus is God when He comes back on this earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Am I afraid to stand up for my faith at my home, school, workplace, or with my unsaved families and friends? What should I do when I am afraid? Why is it important to stand for my faith?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, please give me the courage to stand for my faith wherever I am. Please do not let fear overcome my mind and heart so that I will not begin to hide my faith and be passive until I compromise it. Please help me focus my eyes on you and not on myself. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.