Standing for something

2 Thessalonians 2: ¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

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There were times where I would think GOD is “relative” to my situations. I mean if I did something “wrong” then HE wouldn’t punish me because “how could a loving GOD punish me?” Yet when someone did something wrong to me then I would think “GOD should take that person down!”

Then I got in the mindset that I wasn’t putting enough emphasis on sins other people were doing and began judging them harshly. As the crowd went away I backed off my message of judgment, in fact I joined in on their escapades and found it was fun! I was no longer standing for anything. Free to join in and do what “I” wanted to do. My relative GOD won’t mind, will HE?

• When I try to fit in and follow CHRIST I fail miserably.
• When I try to do what everyone else is doing and follow CHRIST I fail miserably.
• When I try to have the “anything goes” mindset while attempting to follow CHRIST I fail miserably.

You are probably thinking I’m going to get on a high horse and focus on “easy” sins to pick on. Not really. GOD wants me to stand firm and hold fast onto some very specific things.

• No matter what a person is doing GOD wants me to love them enough to want them to love HIS SON.
• No matter where a person is from GOD wants me to love them enough to wish they would follow HIS SON.
• No matter how much a person frustrates me GOD wants me to love them enough to wish they can open their heart to HIS SON.

GOD is not relative to my situation, HE is GOD. HE loved me enough to allow HIS one and only SON to die in my place. HE desires that everyone accepts this eternal gift and wants me to stand firm in my beliefs that HE loves everyone. HIS wonderful words of encouragement should pour from my lips daily.

• Are you following GOD or your own thinking?
• Are you willing to give up a portion of your life and give it to GOD?
• Can you stand firm on love instead of focusing on a single sin that you wouldn’t do anyway?
• Are you willing to expose your sins, if not then are you willing to love people more?