'After You Have Done Everything To Stand...'
I have never shouted my truth at anyone. I have stood in it and gotten beaten down for it, but shouting? Never. I assure you, I'm not planning to start now. Shouting gets truth nowhere. The more we raise our voices, the more those around us stop listening. I think it's a natural reaction stemming from loud childhoods when we were told definitively what we needed to do in a voice much louder than necessary. After so many years, we learn to drown out loud voices. Therefore a quiet stance is always better. If we stand in our truth and LIVE our truth, that truth comes out. This is the platform from which minds are opened and some are changed.
In recent days I've found myself speaking about God more. I've 'ministered' to friends and co-workers, quoting Scripture when I had some to quote and otherwise reassuring them of God's presence. However, each time I open my mouth to speak about God, I nearly bite my tongue. It's all the 'what ifs' of political correctness that get me. We live in a society that would have us stamp out God's presence for fear of offending the non-believers. I have to ask - what about the believers? Are we not offended by His non-presence? However, when I choose to speak, I fear, I worry, I wonder. Is someone going to overhear me and be offended at my mere mention of God?
I think that more people believe than not. It's just that the non-believers have the political ear these days. They get to be the ones who cry about correctness and offensiveness. Now I'm not saying that we need to go all Bible-thumper-my-way-or-the-highway-to-Hell on people, but I am a fan of spiritual openness. Maybe we believers need to stand a little stronger, live a little stronger. There's nothing wrong with God, The Universe, The Essence, The Secret, Phil, Edna, Buddha, or anything else someone chooses to call their higher power. There's also nothing wrong with not believing in anything at all. I believe as I do and everyone is free to believe as they do.
The difference in our society is that the non-believers can speak all day while we believers feel the need to sit quiet and not offend. I think it's time we changed that. I believe and I'm going to be more open about what I believe. This doesn't mean that I'm going to shout about it or tell anyone who doesn't that they're going to Hell. I'm not even going to say that I'm going to pray for them. Yeesh... If I had a dollar for every person that didn't get my beliefs who said that to me over the years, I'd be richer than Oprah. Yeah, so no worries there. My spiritual strength is mine and even though I may choose to share it with others, I never expect anyone to suddenly align their beliefs with mine. I revel in the freedom of religion and the freedom of Spirit, even if you call him Phil.
I hope that more spiritual believers will join me as I stand in my truth. It's not about forcing an ideology or preaching loudly on the street corner. It's about quietly approaching those in need and sharing a little faith. It's about realizing God's glory and the Spirit within and encouraging others to see the same. It's about accepting that not everyone is ready to believe (or may never believe) and loving them anyway. It's about shining a small sliver of light into the darkness in the hopes that it will help someone see just that much better. It's about standing and not being afraid. Above all, it's about living a truth and having faith. This is what I do, what I speak, and WHO I AM. I need not be crucified on Calvary to make my point. I am my point. And I am standing.
'And after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then...' ~ Ephesians 6:13
In recent days I've found myself speaking about God more. I've 'ministered' to friends and co-workers, quoting Scripture when I had some to quote and otherwise reassuring them of God's presence. However, each time I open my mouth to speak about God, I nearly bite my tongue. It's all the 'what ifs' of political correctness that get me. We live in a society that would have us stamp out God's presence for fear of offending the non-believers. I have to ask - what about the believers? Are we not offended by His non-presence? However, when I choose to speak, I fear, I worry, I wonder. Is someone going to overhear me and be offended at my mere mention of God?
I think that more people believe than not. It's just that the non-believers have the political ear these days. They get to be the ones who cry about correctness and offensiveness. Now I'm not saying that we need to go all Bible-thumper-my-way-or-the-highway-to-Hell on people, but I am a fan of spiritual openness. Maybe we believers need to stand a little stronger, live a little stronger. There's nothing wrong with God, The Universe, The Essence, The Secret, Phil, Edna, Buddha, or anything else someone chooses to call their higher power. There's also nothing wrong with not believing in anything at all. I believe as I do and everyone is free to believe as they do.
The difference in our society is that the non-believers can speak all day while we believers feel the need to sit quiet and not offend. I think it's time we changed that. I believe and I'm going to be more open about what I believe. This doesn't mean that I'm going to shout about it or tell anyone who doesn't that they're going to Hell. I'm not even going to say that I'm going to pray for them. Yeesh... If I had a dollar for every person that didn't get my beliefs who said that to me over the years, I'd be richer than Oprah. Yeah, so no worries there. My spiritual strength is mine and even though I may choose to share it with others, I never expect anyone to suddenly align their beliefs with mine. I revel in the freedom of religion and the freedom of Spirit, even if you call him Phil.
I hope that more spiritual believers will join me as I stand in my truth. It's not about forcing an ideology or preaching loudly on the street corner. It's about quietly approaching those in need and sharing a little faith. It's about realizing God's glory and the Spirit within and encouraging others to see the same. It's about accepting that not everyone is ready to believe (or may never believe) and loving them anyway. It's about shining a small sliver of light into the darkness in the hopes that it will help someone see just that much better. It's about standing and not being afraid. Above all, it's about living a truth and having faith. This is what I do, what I speak, and WHO I AM. I need not be crucified on Calvary to make my point. I am my point. And I am standing.
'And after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then...' ~ Ephesians 6:13
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