Ever done this? Stood for a principle of yours – unequivocally, uncompromisingly – not shouting or yelling, but making it abundantly clear that you were standing on/for (fill in the blank). Do you know ‘why’ you did this? To split hairs… I tend to look at ‘on’ as an action and ‘for’ as a motivation.
If you had to do it over again, would you still act the same? What was it about the principle that made you not want to deny it or its importance? Is that how you view yourself and How you grow in the things of the Lord? Or are you only the recipient? (The answer is ‘not ok’.) I believe we are the ones highly involved in our growth. I believe it is as we spend time with the Lord, especially in His Word, that we discover and begin our understanding. If we are only recipients then how personal can the learning be?
Looking at this subject from a different perspective… how do you feel when you don’t act on your own standards? Even when you negate and deny them? Are you angry with yourself? Irritated? Surprised? But what do you DO about the situation? Do you actually change your standard? Do you return and correct the impression you left? Do you just berate yourself? (This last one has little to commend it and rarely accomplishes anything … though is probably the most oft used.)
Obviously there are pluses and minuses for standing up for a principle as there are for denying it, though I would suggest we err on the side of standing. In my world, standing is more of a test than it is a trial (and, again in my world, there are significant differences between a test and a trial…). Regardless of test or trial, what are the advantages to not standing? None that I can see. We end up disappointing ourselves on some level and we betray ourselves, which is an offense that’s difficult to ever justify.
Personally, I hope I can say as Paul did:
“I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error]. In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8, AMP)
This is one time that I pray I am one of the ‘those’.
