Question: How do I stand strong for God in a hostile environment?

Answer: It’s not always easy to stand strong for God when those around you are hostile towards His teachings. Therefore, you must always remember to share God’s teachings respectfully, in ways that reflect God’s love. Make sure you don’t come across as hostile yourself by being mean, uncaring, or hypocritical. Instead, let your interactions with others reflect kindness, joy, and peace. (Read about these and other “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23)

Still, even when you try to be loving when sharing your beliefs, there may be people who will accuse you of acting like you think you’re better than everyone else. Others may say you’re being too judgmental. They may even try to prove you’re wrong by quoting the verse, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1 NKJV)

However, they fail to give the rest of that passage. For Jesus goes on to warn first against being a hypocrite — someone who points out the sins of others without acknowledging and repenting of their own sins. Using symbolism for sin, He asks,” And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” Then, He goes on to say, “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Read Matthew 7:1-5) Jesus does want us to speak His truth to others about the consequences of sin and help them understand God’s Word.

Unfortunately, many people just don’t want to accept that it’s God — not man — who determines what is good and what is evil. Therefore, they may attack you verbally or even physically try to keep you from speaking God’s Truth. You may be ridiculed, not invited to parties, denied job promotions, be fired, or even sued for practicing your unpopular beliefs. This is all because you choose to stand strong for your Christian faith.

Even some Believers may get combative or turn against you for calling out sin in today’s culture. They may react this way for many reasons. But one reason might be that your boldness for the Lord makes them embarrassed and ashamed. Deep down, they know they have been failing to stand strong for their faith like God wants them to do.

In fact, Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

In order to deal successfully with any of these situations, you must start with prayer! Our loving Heavenly Father hears our prayers and is with us to help us through our daily trials. His Word tells us to, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) God always wants us to turn to Him — including when we face attacks.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that these fights we face are actually spiritual battles. They are conflicts between those who support what God calls evil and those of us who support the goodness and righteousness of God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul reminds Believers to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10)

When we face challenges because of our faith, we, like Paul, should pray for God’s Holy Spirit to help us. Paul urged the Believers of his day to be praying for other Believers and for him, “……that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel… that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Read more about putting on “The Whole Armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-20)

So, don’t be weak-kneed. Boldly share your beliefs with grace, kindness, respect, and love. In doing so, you’ll be helping to fulfill The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) given by Jesus, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

****Enjoy this beautiful song of encouragement by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir entitled, “Take Up Your Cross.” (Click on this link: https://youtu.be/77RHISYAD_E)