Standing Up For...Jesus ~~ Are You Willing?

Standing Up For...Jesus ~~ Are You Willing?

Patricia Ann, Originally posted on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 

 I stopped living a lukewarm life.
Today,  I live my life standing up for Jesus!!
 
I grew up in a family that attended church almost every Sunday until my teenage years.  My parents quit going to

church (I do not recall why), and as a result I quit going as well.
So, beginning in my teenage years and well into adulthood, I believed in God and tried to live a decent life.  I said my prayers nightly just as I had been taught to do.  I had a routine that worked well for me (or so I thought) for many years. 
I lived a lukewarm life.  I knew God existed and I had accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was eight years old. So, that meant for sure that I would end up in Heaven.  Right??
 
I didn't talk about God with anyone -- family or friends -- it just wasn't done or needed, unless of course there was a wedding, a birth, or a funeral or when someone was sick.   I had learned growing up that God became more important during those times.
 
Thankfully as I grew into my adult life, I was blessed with  trials that ultimately led me into a closer relationship with God. 
And the more I looked to God for answers... the more trials came my way.
At times I thought I would never survive the heartache, fear and pain that I was enduring. 
In looking for people to help me with my problems, I quickly discovered Psalm 118:8 (KJV) proclaims: "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." 
I began to apply this Scripture verse to my life.
I came closer into the presence of my Lord and Savior with each trial  -- knowing that only He had the answers I looked for and only He could provide me with peace, and an inner joy in some of the most trying times.
I stopped living a lukewarm life.
It didn't happen all at once.
As I developed a new relationship with Jesus as my Lord and Savior (it had been many years since I accepted Him at the age of eight), I found myself talking about Him with my family and friends (or at least trying to). I wanted to share the

Good News of Jesus with everyone I knew.
I was met skepticism, ridicule, disbelief and persecution (even from my very own family.)
So, feeling hurt by those I had trusted most when I was a child, I turned to My Lord with questions and I received this: His answer for my life.
 
Live my life as an example to others, show them that I love Jesus, that He is my Lord and Savior, that I feel so blessed that He sacrificed His life just for me (and for you) and for the sins of mankind. The pain He endured for my sin was more than any pain I could ever imagine or endure, yet I lived my life lukewarm and not understanding of His love for me for many, many years.
 
Today, I live my life standing up for Jesus, standing up for what is right according to His word and His desires for His people -- God's creation!
 
I still get ridiculed, put down, met with disbelief, and persecution, but proudly stand up for Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
 
Without Him in His rightful place in my life -- in my heart -- I lived a lukewarm existence.
I still have hurts and disappointments. The difference is that now I have a friend (my best friend) Jesus Christ, who will help me get through the bad times and who knows my heart and every need.  He wants me to live a fulfilled life in Him.
 
Some people don't know the fulfillment they are missing. 
They seek wealth and fame, successful careers, fancy cars, etc. They seek satisfaction and comfort through a worldly means. They believe in achieving their own light - but they live with a hole in their heart that when filled through a relationship with Jesus Christ will give them satisfaction in abundance. 
 
Jesus longs to fill that void in our lives.
He wants us to stand firm in a relationship with Him at the center of our existence. 
 
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Jesus Christ is calling each of us to stand up for him. Standing up can be scary and  may mean sacrifice, it may mean servanthood, conflict or humbleness. If we have faith that God is calling us to live our lives for Him, then we can rejoice in the knowledge that He is going to be right there beside us all the way!! 
 
My prayer for today is that we put our faith into action and step out of our lukewarm, comfort zone, and become

willing to...
Stand Up for Our Lord, Jesus Christ and experience life more abundantly!! 
In Jesus name, Amen