I know some of you have had an occasion or two where you had to make a stand on principle and your biblical values in some situation where others thought you were just PLAIN crazy!
For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand whenever evil comes. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm. Eph 6:13 (ISV)
There are so many instances where we can be tempted to rethink our position on our values. Our values being biblically centered can be a turn off for most people. Nowadays people do not want to hear you tell them that you do not believe in premarital sex or that the cookies are staying in the jar prior to marriage. Nowadays, just about anything goes and it is the standard to say just about anything and do the same. Some Christians have lowered their standard so low you find it difficult to distinguish between them and world. It's unfortunate because many people assume nobody is watching their life, but in reality you are being watched all of the time. At some point, somebody will call you on that standard you say you're upholding and living.
There is much to be said about putting on the whole armor of God especially in this day and age. You will certainly need it! You are protected from every angle when you have the entire armor on. When you find yourself in a position where you feel vulnerable or weak there is always something in that armor that you can pull from that will strengthen you, guide you, and reinforce who you are as a woman of God.
Our scriptures says "and when you have done everything that you could do to stand" you WILL be able to stand firm. Not by pure will, but by the spirit of God that resides on the inside of you, because his strength is made perfect in our weakness. After you have exhausted all you can do in yourself and there is nothing left of you to give, the Holyghost is able to sustain you and keep you from falling. My grandmother use to say, "He’ll keep you if you want to be kept". That is so true. Where we fail is that we find ourselves questioning whether we want to be kept or not. We find ourselves trying to strip the armor off because it takes more effort to keep it on than off. There is less responsibility in taking it off. We do not have to stand for anything and we do not have to adhere to anything when we take it off. But the problem with that is that at the end of the day, you still have to acknowledge who you are. You can take the Queen out of the palace and put her in a pig pen, but she is still the Queen and the pen doesn't change that. You are still who you are whether you choose to lay down in the pen or stay in the palace. The accountability for your actions does not go away. Somebody is still looking at the Queen down in the pen wondering how she strayed so far from where she belongs.
So, back to the armor and our values. Our values as women of God teach us to be set apart or different in our thinking and behavior than how the world would typically think, respond, and behave. It is not a popular thing, no doubt and often we are criticized, ridiculed and even rejected for our beliefs. How many times have you had someone never call you again when you said there are certain things you believe are reserved for husbands and wives? For me, too many. I'm certainly fine with that. In fact, I'm glad; it means less pressure on me from having to say no repeatedly. That's what you'll find yourself doing when you align yourselves with someone who does not respect who you are. They will view you as one of pheasant girls when you actually are royalty.
Typically royalty aligns themselves with people of the same lineage. I hope I just heard an amen! I said typically royalty aligns themselves with people of the same lineage, not with commoners. It is on rare occasions that you will find that royalty will yoke up with commoners, but you can be certain that their lineage has been investigated thoroughly and they were found to be a suitable mate. Royals who stray too far from custom do not have the privilege of inheriting the throne. Thus, the throne will go to the next in-line.
Stand in who you are women of God because it does matter, it is important not only to you but to the souls that your walk affects. It is important to the God that we serve. It is important to your destiny and purpose. Backing down is easier because it means that you perhaps won’t be as lonely, you will seem more open, and you will be more accepted. The bottom line for me is I would rather be accepted in the beloved, a chosen priesthood, a peculiar person than fit into the status quo. Your peculiarity makes you extremely special and rare. It’s like finding a blemish free diamond. It is a priceless gem. We could put a price on it, but very few could afford to purchase it. Don’t you want to be in a class all by yourself?
Much love….strive for excellence, walk in obedience, and keep don’t let your sword fall!
Pastor Symintha Radford
For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand whenever evil comes. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm. Eph 6:13 (ISV)
There is much to be said about putting on the whole armor of God especially in this day and age. You will certainly need it! You are protected from every angle when you have the entire armor on. When you find yourself in a position where you feel vulnerable or weak there is always something in that armor that you can pull from that will strengthen you, guide you, and reinforce who you are as a woman of God.
Our scriptures says "and when you have done everything that you could do to stand" you WILL be able to stand firm. Not by pure will, but by the spirit of God that resides on the inside of you, because his strength is made perfect in our weakness. After you have exhausted all you can do in yourself and there is nothing left of you to give, the Holyghost is able to sustain you and keep you from falling. My grandmother use to say, "He’ll keep you if you want to be kept". That is so true. Where we fail is that we find ourselves questioning whether we want to be kept or not. We find ourselves trying to strip the armor off because it takes more effort to keep it on than off. There is less responsibility in taking it off. We do not have to stand for anything and we do not have to adhere to anything when we take it off. But the problem with that is that at the end of the day, you still have to acknowledge who you are. You can take the Queen out of the palace and put her in a pig pen, but she is still the Queen and the pen doesn't change that. You are still who you are whether you choose to lay down in the pen or stay in the palace. The accountability for your actions does not go away. Somebody is still looking at the Queen down in the pen wondering how she strayed so far from where she belongs.
So, back to the armor and our values. Our values as women of God teach us to be set apart or different in our thinking and behavior than how the world would typically think, respond, and behave. It is not a popular thing, no doubt and often we are criticized, ridiculed and even rejected for our beliefs. How many times have you had someone never call you again when you said there are certain things you believe are reserved for husbands and wives? For me, too many. I'm certainly fine with that. In fact, I'm glad; it means less pressure on me from having to say no repeatedly. That's what you'll find yourself doing when you align yourselves with someone who does not respect who you are. They will view you as one of pheasant girls when you actually are royalty.
Typically royalty aligns themselves with people of the same lineage. I hope I just heard an amen! I said typically royalty aligns themselves with people of the same lineage, not with commoners. It is on rare occasions that you will find that royalty will yoke up with commoners, but you can be certain that their lineage has been investigated thoroughly and they were found to be a suitable mate. Royals who stray too far from custom do not have the privilege of inheriting the throne. Thus, the throne will go to the next in-line.
Stand in who you are women of God because it does matter, it is important not only to you but to the souls that your walk affects. It is important to the God that we serve. It is important to your destiny and purpose. Backing down is easier because it means that you perhaps won’t be as lonely, you will seem more open, and you will be more accepted. The bottom line for me is I would rather be accepted in the beloved, a chosen priesthood, a peculiar person than fit into the status quo. Your peculiarity makes you extremely special and rare. It’s like finding a blemish free diamond. It is a priceless gem. We could put a price on it, but very few could afford to purchase it. Don’t you want to be in a class all by yourself?
Much love….strive for excellence, walk in obedience, and keep don’t let your sword fall!
Pastor Symintha Radford
No comments:
Post a Comment