Stand part 1
I say this a lot: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And I think this is important, especially with the "religious" mindset that says we have to be against every and any thing. I've never met people more ready, willing, and able to fight than religious folk. And that bums me out. Because Jesus already fought--and won--the war to end all wars. He already took away the sin of the world. So why are we so often on a sin hunt? Why are we so ready to kick people when they're down? I want to say this as strongly as I can: The only fight I believe we are supposed to fight is found in 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." And did you notice that the good fight is... faith? Laying hold of something. Being FOR something. Making a stand that says, "God is love, and He loves me. And because He loves me, I can love you." That's the whole deal of the whole thing. That's how we let Jesus live His eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life of love in us, and through us, and as us. We receive and release the gift we've been given. We receive it BY releasing it. We lay hold of it. Because we already have it. We don't fight in order to get it. We fight in order to believe that we already have it. That's what faith is--believing that what God says is true in the face of any and every thing else. And that's important because the world screams its lie--that you have to do in order to be--at the top of its lungs. And God speaks in a still, small, voice. Did it ever occur to you that the Bible tells us to be still (and know that He is God) because His voice is still, and small? God--LOVE--doesn't demand its (HIS) own way. He simply makes Himself available to us. And I don't know why, but when I got the idea for this Rant series the thought on my heart was, "This is a good place to make my stand. This is a good hill to die on." And the verse on my heart was Romans 5:2, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Grace is where we make our stand. And sometimes that can be a little bit painful. Because when you're graceful... people WILL take advantage of you. When you turn the other cheek, you just might get slapped on that one too. But, as my pastor once said, "If you go down swinging, you might not go down at all." If you're standing on--and in--grace, you're right where you're supposed to be. Now look, here's the warning again, sometimes when you give people the benefit of the doubt they WILL let you down. But I'd rather be naive than cynical. I'd rather err on the side of love than live a life of bitterness and distrust. And, as always, I'm not saying you should put yourself (or keep yourself) in a bad situation. But what I AM saying is: we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And I did a Guerrilla Gospel video early today where I was talking about hope and glory. Christ in you, right? Well, when we make our stand in--and on--grace... when we make our stand in--and on--love... then we WILL have that hope fulfilled. That glory WILL manifest itself (HIMSELF) in us, and to us, and through us. And that's how its supposed to be. Fighting FOR something. Laying hold of something. Sharing what we've got. Giving it away. Living and loving. Living BY loving! That's how to make a stand!