Girlfriends, Stand Up for Christ!
Image borrowed from http://wellwateredwoman.blogspot.com
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:26-28 (ESV)
Hello my sweet Girlfriends!
The weather outside may be frightful--frigid and freezing--but I am about to light you on fire with my passion for Christ. I hope that you are warmed by the love in my heart for you, but more so I pray that my concern for your eternity sparks a blaze that inspires you to action. We have an urgent need in this country for followers of Christ to unite and push back the assault upon our beliefs and life values. I hear the whispering and the murmurs of injustice and prejudice against the Christian faith and its followers, but I do not see any marching feet or stalwart souls standing up for our Leader. Quit cowering, my lady friends, and come alive for what you know in your heart is right. Follow Christ and see where He leads!
I wrote the following reader response for my master's program this week. I am sharing it with you now because I truly believe we are under attack, sometimes overtly and sometimes covertly. The enemies of Christ are seeking and devouring, and I am not willing to be a victim nor allow my family and future generations either to fall prey to this evil. United we stand, or trust me, this nation will fall.
“Both Christ and His cause were so
compelling that they were followers regardless. This is the kind of followership
to which we must aspire. And while most of us will never be called to follow to
the shedding of our blood, or for that matter not even to ta measure of their
sacrifice, it is still unconditional followership that Christ both demands and
deserves.” Joseph Stowell, Following Christ, p.68.
As Stowell says, I doubt I will ever know
the level of commitment that requires the literal shedding of blood for Christ.
I aspire to it, although I have no desire to actually bleed! I do wish to be in
such deep communion with Christ that I would willingly do so if needed. I pray
that my desire is of the right motive. I like that Stowell points out that the
first followers of Christ were not above that temptation either. The tangible
benefits of followership make the following much easier than the intangible or
even futuristic blessings. But when we keep our eyes focused on the tangible
and let go of the right reasons for following Christ, disaster and decay slowly
creep in and take over.
I find that in the United States we do not
have that strong level of commitment to following Christ no matter the cost. We
are very politically correct Christians, treading the waters of this world,
trying to keep afloat, when in reality we are drowning ourselves in the sea of
sin and submission. Stowell notes that the first followers of Christ were
marginalized, maligned, and sometimes martyred. Yet, their persistence resulted
in changing an entire Empire, forging a civilization based “upon Christ’s ways
and reflect(ing) His justice and righteousness in its laws.” (69) Funny, but our
nation supposedly began on these very same principles incorporated into our Constitution and our laws. Somehow, over the past 250+ years, our lack of commitment to following
Christ has resulted in a very unrecognizable reflection in the mirror. It is not that we allowed people of varying faiths into America; rather, we bent over backwards to accept and accommodate them, sacrificing our own faith and principles in the process. Religious tolerance eroded our Christian religious identity and strength.
I do
not know what the solution is except to recommit to a solid, strong, undeterred
following of Christ no matter the cost. This fix is not instant nor easy. If we are going to leave a country worth
living in after we are gone, Christians are going to have to unite and start
acting like true followers and not stragglers. My own children seek the Lord, but I
still hear “oh Mom” when I take a strong stand against what I see as an affront
on my values in Christ. I hope to provide for them a great example of unwavering
dedication to the Lord by my life’s example. I find the hope, the promise, and
the life in Christ so compelling that to do otherwise is to live an unfulfilled
life toward a disastrous destiny.
