Stand
“AND HAVING DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND” (Eph. 6:13b).
This is my new sweatshirt. A sister from church made it for me. I made a pointed comment Sunday that I wanted to make a bumper sticker or T-shirt that said: “STAND for what you stand for.” Later that day, her husband presented this to me. She made it that afternoon.
Not everyone sees the value of this exhortation. One young friend misunderstood. He thought I was advocating getting in people’s faces and pressing my agenda. Not so! Standing for your convictions differs from demanding your opinions be heard.
We must be able to differentiate between opinion and conviction. While some are willing to combat anyone who disagrees with their opinion, not every “hill” is worth dying on. In fact, not all convictions are worth sticking up for. Sometimes—most of the time, really—it’s best to just back off and agree to disagree.
But this is not always true. Sometimes the conviction is too vital to let pass. Sometimes silently watching things transpire and wishing they were different allows for deterioration of crucial ethics and/or truths. This is neither political nor spiritual; it pertains to having the strength of conviction to stand up for it.
Edmund Burke, Irish statesman, spoke succinctly, yet powerfully, on this point: “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” In another place he said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Remaining silent or inactive never “fixes” anything. Speaking up against a wrong, whether small or large, is the only way to keep the wrong from going unchallenged and then becoming normalized. Getting involved to stop a wrong or to promote a worthy cause is far better than wishing things would improve and then wringing your hands because they don’t.
As I assured, this isn’t religious or political. This is about being strong enough to stand up for what you believe is right. And, if you don’t like the way society is trending, get involved, stand your ground, and make a difference.
The apostle Paul inspires me. When his companions pleaded with him not to go into Jerusalem because they feared the worst, he said to them: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem” (Acts 21:13). Whether you favor Paul or don’t, you must admit this: He had deep convictions that he was willing to stand for, even at the cost of his life.
Yours for a commitment to your convictions,
Rod
206.949.0325
rod_macarthur@comcast.net