SERVING SIX ONE

Did you ever think about Moses’ rod? You know the one he held up when the Red Sea parted.  The one that he struck the rock with and water came forth, the one he threw down and it became  a serpent. The one that he touched the Nile with causing it to turn to blood. That rod. Did you  ever really think about it. It was just a rod. Just an ordinary stick that Moses used to poke, prod,  direct, and protect a bunch of sheep. It was just an ordinary rod, and would have remained an  ordinary rod if he had not obeyed the voice of God and let it go.

God asked Moses “What is that in your hand?” (Ex.4:2) to which Moses replied “A rod.” Now of  course God knew what it was, he just wanted to make sure Moses knew. But what happened  next is what is so profound. God told Moses to throw the rod down. To let it go. To give it to  Him. When Moses did the rod became a serpent and then of course that rod accompanied him  as he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. A simple man, with a simple rod, doing miraculous things because of a willingness to let go and let God!

You know, there are things right now that you are holding that God wants to use. Little things that could be great when touched by God’s power. So, what do you have that the Almighty could use? Are you willing to let it go? Are you willing to trust Him with it?

Just as there are things you are holding that God can use if you give them to Him, there are also things you are holding onto that God wants you to let go of . Things that are keeping you from following after God. Things that are keeping you from hearing Him, trusting Him, and knowing His will for your life. Are you holding on to something that is affecting your relationship with God? Something that is keeping you from the blessings God has for your life? Is it a relationship, a hurt, a fear, a grudge? What is that you may be refusing to let go of because it is familiar to you, something that you are used to carrying around with you for so long that you have become attached to it?

God is saying “Let it Go”. Let go of the past so the past will let go of you. Then and only then will you be able to live and enjoy the fullness of what God has for your life.

So, what are you holding on to? Do you have talents, ideas, dreams, abilities, thoughts, or desires that God could be using for His glory? Or do you have bitterness, unforgiveness, secrets, broken dreams, or spiritual ties with people that you know needs to be severed? God says Let it Go! The choice is yours, and so are the repercussions.

Have you ever taken a picture and then it turned out blurry. Chances are you didn’t have a clear focus when you took the picture. In other words, the camera was focused on something other than what your intentions were. The results were a blurred picture.

Many times that is the problem we have in life as well. We have good intentions. We have the right idea. But somewhere along the lines, we lose our focus. Other things, that may be good things, grab our focus, distract us and we lose the actual focus of what we were supposed to be doing.

When this happens, the results are usually that the project or goal we were working on seems to lose it effectiveness and we even doubt if we were supposed to be doing it in the first place. We get discouraged, downhearted, and feel like quitting. Oftentimes, we do quit. We stop short and never finish the work we once thought we were called to do.

So many visions, dreams and desires given from God never materialize or come to fruition because we allow the enemy to distract us with other things. More times than not, it is good things that take our focus off of our calling. Getting too busy and caught up in other projects with church or other people’s visions is often the reason for not continuing with our own. Or, letting others put doubt in us because of their disbelief or jealousy can cause us to doubt and lose our focus as well.

When this happens, the fire and desire we once had for our vision dwindles. Sometimes it diminishes to the point we find ourselves questioning whether or not the vision was from God in the first place. Once the focus gets blurred, it is hard to see clearly what we are supposed to be doing.

Getting us to lose our focus is one of the most common yet powerful tools of the enemy. If the devil can get you to get caught up with the busy work of other things rather than the task or objective God has given you or purposed you for, then chances are that project will not be completed. If the project doesn’t get completed, many people may not be reached. So, the enemy wins.

Remember the story of Peter walking on the water? He started out his quest with excitement. He asked God to help him. He heard the voice of the Lord clearly say “Come.” He stepped out in faith to begin his journey and was making progress. He had his eyes focused on Jesus and was actually walking on the water! He was doing what others saw as impossible because he was focused!

But something happened on Peter’s journey. Perhaps, it was because he started listening to those to afraid to get out of the boat as they told him he was crazy. Maybe he listened to their jealous jeering saying that he was going to sink. Maybe then, he heard the wind, the splashing of the waves and waves of doubt washed over him. Whatever he heard or thought made him take his eyes off of Jesus. When that happened, when he lost his focus, he went down. He sank beneath his own doubts, beneath his own discouragement, beneath his own fears.

The good news is, Peter didn’t drown beneath those waves of doubt, discouragement and fear. He remembered to call on the name of the One who saves. When he did, Jesus picked him up, and walked back with him, guiding him, holding him and talking to him all along the way. You see, although Peter lost his focus, he got it back and he continued his feat. He didn’t swim back to the boat; he walked back to the boat! And in so doing, he was a witness to all those in the boat who thought it couldn’t be done!

It is important to know that although we may lose our focus, we can always call on the One who is more than willing to help us see again. He will pick us up, un-cloud our vision and help us clearly see where we are supposed to go and what we are supposed to be doing. Not only that, but He’ll go with us all the way!

So it’s time to get up, get out of the boat and get on with our journey of faith. If we lose our sight and start to sink we need to cry out to the One who told us to “Come”. He will help us get our focus straight and with Him we shall overcome!

Your life is like a garden; whatever you plant in it is exactly what it will produce. This is so true. Whatever you sow, you will reap. It is the Law of Reciprocity in action. God’s law, set in motion from the very beginning. Look at where it got Adam and Eve– booted out of paradise. Bad choices have consequences to go along with them. And the sooner we realize that and start making good choices, the better off we will be.

I am reminded of this law of reaping and sowing every time I go out and have to pull weeds out of my flower beds. I really hate weeding. I don’t like having to get down on my hands and knees and pluck, pull and sometimes wrestle with those little aggravating, persistent things that grow where everything else won’t. But it has to be done. In order to enjoy the beauty of my flowers, I have to take the time and tend my garden.

So, while I am out there doing the dreaded chore, I think and pray. I think of all the weeds I have sown in my own life and in the lives of those I love. I think about all the times I said something I shouldn’t have said. I think about all the things I did that I shouldn’t have done. I think about the ugly weeds that have poked their unsightly heads up in my life, or my loved one’s lives, that I had a hand in planting.

As you can see, weeding is an especially daunting task for me. But it is also a necessary one. It makes me realize how foolish and how serious our actions can be. One little negative, harsh, condemning, or condescending word we say can cause major problems later on. With that unique  little gardening tool called the tongue, we can plant so very many seeds, many of which can be devastating to the garden that they are sown in.

With just our words we are able to sow discouragement, doubt, insecurity, fear, hate, jealousy, anger, distrust,lies…and the list goes on. And all of those seeds grow in the garden in which they are planted, sometimes being very destructive and at times even devastating.

I recently read about an 11 year boy who killed himself because of the teasing and cruel words of some of his peers. He simply couldn’t take the pain, the hurt, the discouragement, and the insecurity that had sprung up inside of him due to what was carelessly sown by others. Seeds sown. Weeds grown. Life gone. Just like that.

The seeds we sow have more of an affect that what we realize. And, we will be held accountable for every word said, every deed done, every seed sown. We will reap the harvest for every seed we sow. It may not happen right  away, but believe me, every seed counts. Just like  the old cliche’ says, “What goes around, comes around”, what you do and say will come back to you.

You see, God holds us responsible for our words and actions. He expects us to say and do what is right. To treat others as we wish to be treated. To love one another. Be kind to one another. The law of reaping and sowing is a law He established and it cannot be avoided. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:7-10:

“Don’t be misled— you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”

We need to be mindful of what we sow, because we will get back a harvest. Weeds, or flowers. Good fruit or bad fruit. The choice is ours. We control the garden of our life. We have to live on the crop of what we have sown. We have to pay the price for the sins we commit.

So, be careful where you sow, what you plant, and how well you tend your garden. Your life depends on the harvest it will bring forth!

In 1 Kings 18-19 you can read the story of Elijah when he challenged and defeated 450 prophets of Baal. The story is absolutely incredible. Here is a quick summary of what happened. Israel was under the leadership of a wicked king named Ahab who was married to a very evil woman named Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel had caused Israel to turn from God and begin worshipping the idol of Baal. Because of their wickedness, God gave word through the prophet Elijah that there would be a severe drought on the land and that there would be neither rain nor dew until God gave His word for it.

It was during the third year of the drought, that God told Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab. Elijah told Ahab to summon all of Israel along with the 450 prophets of Baal and to join him on Mt. Carmel.Ahab did just as Elijah requested. Elijah stood before all of Israel and the prophets of Baal and made this proclamation — “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow Him!”

Elijah then turned his attention to the prophets of Baal and challenged them to a contest.They were to erect an altar to thier god. Two bulls were brought and the prophets of Baal chose which on they wanted and cut it into pieces and laid on the altar as a sacrifice to Baal. They were instructed to cry out to their god and ask him to send down fire to burn up the sacrifice. Elijah would do the same. Whichever God answered by fire would indeed be the true God.

The prophets of Baal went first. They cried out, and called on their god from morning until noon. Yet, there was no response. So, they cried louder and harder, even cutting themselves with knives and swords, trying desperately to get the attention of their so-called god.

Finally, Elijah had endured enough of their pointless ramblings and told Israel to pay attention. Elijah took twelve stones, erected himself an altar, laid the sacrifice on it, and then had them bring four huge containers of water and pour it all over the wood, the sacrifice and the altar. There was so much water that it even filled up the trench dug around the altar.

Then, as all Israel watched, and in the presence of all his enemies, Elijah prayed, asking God to show Himself as Lord. Immediately, fire fell from heaven burning up not only the sacrifice, but the wood, the altar itsef and even licked up all the water in the trough.

God had showed up, just as Elijah had asked. At this point, Israel was pumped up and on the instructions of Elijah, killed all the prophets of Baal. Elijah had listened to the voice of the Lord. Elijah had obeyed that voice. Elijah had declared God’s word unashamedly and without reservations. He trusted God to do what God had said He would do.And God honored His word. He showed up with majesty and power.

When we choose to take the time to listen to God, He will speak. Oftentimes, we are to wrapped up in ourselves to hear Him. But in those times that we do take the time to listen, we need to obey what He says to do. There are so many times we know what we are supposed to do. We know that God has spoken to us and given us specific instructions, yet we do not heed them. We choose to go our own way, do our own thing and then end up in a bad place, miserable and discontent. Down and defeated.

Well, it is time that we make some decisions. How long are we going to live defeated? How long are we not going to obey and serve the God of Elijah. If the Lord is God, then Follow Him! As long as we are not listening, and not obeying, we will not be victorious. It is time, as  children of God, to seek Him, to hear Him and to heed Him.

We must stand up and declare Him Lord in whatever situations we are facing. Stand up in the presence of our families, our friends and even our enemies and procalim God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When we give our problems, our doubts, our sins, our shortcomings, our insecurities, our worries, and our fears to God — He will send down His fire from heaven and burn them away. He will lift us up even in the presence of our enemies and strengthen us and bless us.

It is time we know that God is bigger than anything we might be facing. He is Lord of all. There is nothing He cannot do and won’t do if we will only surrender to His will. So, let’s do it. Let’s call out to the God of Elijah. Lift up His Holy name, declare Him God, and let His fire reign down in our lives. The Lord is God, so Follow Him!!!

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you ever get tired of trying to please everybody, only to find that in so doing you’re not being yourself and that in the whole trying to please everybody process, you end up being miserable? Been there, done that. I have tried to be, say and act, many times opposite of how I felt just to appease my friends and family. I’ve put on the mask, played the charade, only to find myself miserable which ended up making everyone close to me miserable as well.

Not being who you really are, or who you were created to be can and will eventually bring you to a breaking point. Look, you were created in the image of God. You are unique. You are special. There is no one else like you on the face of the earth. You are who you are and you need to make the most  of it.

God created you in His image. That alone makes you special. He fashioned you, and then filled you with the unique gifts, qualities and features that you have. Many of you may feel that you do not have any special talents, abilities or qualities. That is simply because you are comparing yourself to others and failing to see and recognize what you have. You need to quit looking at yourself through your own eyes and start looking at yourself through God’s eyes.

Through the eyes of God, you are a special, unique and wonderfully created vessel that He would love to pour His Spirit into and use mightily. He created you for a unique purpose, that no one else can fill. There are things God has for your life and for you to do that, unless you do them, they will not be done!

So stop complaining, being down, and thinking you have nothing to give. Start seeking God’s will for your life and be about serving Him with everything you’ve got! Quantity doesn’t matter. Remember the story of the little boy with the two fish and the seven little rolls? Jesus took what that little boy had and blessed it! Then he fed thousands. Now the boy could not have fed the multitude with his  little lunch on his own. He could not have even fed two or three people. It wasn’t what he had, nor how much he had. It was, however, his willingness to surrender and give what he had for God’s purpose. In the hands of the little boy, that lunch could not do much, but in the hands of God, thousands were not only fed, but filled!

I am sure the boy probably thought that his lunch was not enough. But his thoughts did not stop him from offering what he had. I am sure he had no idea that Jesus would be able to feed the whole entire crowd with just his little lunch. But he did not let his thoughts get in the way of his heart. In his heart, he was willing do do what he could with what little he had. It was from his willingness to give what he had to God, that God took it, blessed it and used it to feed thousands.

Right now, within you, there are things God would love to use to touch the lives of others. It doesn’t matter if you can see it or not. God’s ways are not our ways. He can take whatever you have and bless it and use it mightily. But it takes surrendering to Him. Once you completely surrender to His will, great things will happen. You see, it’s not about us, it’s about Him. What we have is nothing until we give it to God! When we get the perspective right, then the outcome will incredible.

So rather than sitting around feeling insignificant, give what you have to the One who can use it to make a difference. Focus on the fact that He thinks you are great and whether you can fully see it or understand it, just let Him take control of your life. Once it’s in His hands, He can bless it just like those little barley loaves. Try it, you will be just as amazed as that little boy was.

So, go ahead. Give what you have to God and let God make the most of you!

So many times I have read about the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness moaning and complaining to Moses and Aaron. Every time I have read about that I was both amazed, confused and sometimes downright annoyed that God did not just zap them right then and there and be done with them. I mean think about it. Here you have this group of people that cried out to God for deliverance. God sent Moses. He plagued the Egyptians that enslaved them. He gave them favor, delivered them from bondage and set them free. Then He opens the Red Sea, and swallows up and totally destroys their enemies.

From then on, He gives them water, feeds them honey cakes, then gives them meat that they did not even have to go and hunt and they still complain. He constantly saves them from the hands of their enemies and still they complain. One day, I asked God why He put up with them. I, in my arrogant, self-righteous state of mind, sat judging these ungrateful bunch of whiners until God quickly humbled me. He spoke and said that I was no different. He supplies my food, my drink, my clothing, my shelter from the storm. He gives me good health which I seem to always take for granted. He makes the sun shine on me in the morning and the moon by night. He provides exceedingly, abundantly more than many in this world have and yet I complain.

I complain when it’s too hot, or too cold. Yet there are so many in this world that live in the heat or have no shelter from the cold. I complain when my hair won’t fix just right. However, there are some that do not have hair left because it fell out due to chemotherapy. I complain when the red light is taking too long, when maybe I am being kept from a wreck down the road. I complain when my husband leaves stuff lying on the floor, when there are those who no longer have their spouses to pick up after. I complain when the house is dirty, when some have no home to get dirty. I complain when I can’t find something to wear, when in reality my closet is full and there are those that don’t have even a shirt of their own. Get the picture? Yeah, well I am not the only whining brat. I bet you do your share as well.

We complain so much, but how often are we thankful? Seriously, how many times do we just fill a day up with nothing but thanks for what we do have. Eyes to see, hands, feet, kids, husbands, wives, parents, houses, cars, computers, food, clothes, money, jobs, freedom. Hello? The list is unending. How about the air we breathe? Or the fact that we woke up this morning? that our family is alive? We take everything for granted and yet God is kind, loving, merciful and oh so very patient!!!! Wow, we serve an amazing, incredible God.

So, before you utter your next complaint. Before you get aggravated because something didn’t suit your fancy or go your way, STOP! Stop and thank the God who thought enough of you to form you to begin with. Thank Him that you were able to get up this morning, that your family is alive, that you have eyes to be able to read this blog post. Thank Him for everything and anything you can possible think of, especially for His patience in dealing with us. What an awesome Father we have!!

Proverbs 3:5 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” This is probably one of the most difficult instructions to follow. Just why is it so hard for us to totally trust God and stop trying to figure out things for ourselves? We always try to handle things on our own and leave God totally out of the mix. If we would just trust in the God who made us, loves us and has the absolute best for us, we would be so much better off.

As human beings, we are always depending on our limited knowledge. But the Bible tells us clearly not to depend or lean own that finite understanding. We need to trust in God’s infinite knowledge and understanding. Don’t try to figure things out and go your own way. Instead, put your trust in the One who knows best. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you unconditionally. He is a 24/7, on time, all the time, God, Who cares about everything you do and everything you are going through.

Sometimes it is so hard to trust God. That is because we limit Him to the way we think. But Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts nor are His ways like our ways. He does not operate nor think with limitations. All things are possible with Him (Matthew 19:26). Things that may seem, and quite literally may be impossible for us, but there is nothing that God cannot do.

That is why Solomon with all of his wisdom, told us to “Trust in the Lord with all of our heart.” He knew that we would not be able to see our way through difficulties, problems, troubles, trials without the direction of our heavenly Father. He also knew that when we do rely on our own vices, we make things worse and we miss out on so many blessings.

For after Solomon told us to trust the Lord and not lean own what we know, he then told us to be sure and acknowledge God. Proverbs 3:6 says “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” We need to make a conscious effort to tell God that we need Him. Acknowledge that He is the One who can make things right. Then the Bible says that He will direct our paths.

If we will trust God, and not ourselves, and acknowledge Him, then He will give us the guidance we need to help us. He will help us to see clearly and speak directly to us and lead us in the way we need to go. So trust Him. He will never let you down.

There is no better word than God’s Word, and when we praise Him and lift Him up, He lifts us up too!!! The Bible says, “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” When troubles come and there seems no help the Psalmist declares in Psalm 3:3 “But Thou O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter of my head.” He is our shield that blocks the fiery darts of the enemy. He is the lifter of our head, the one Who lifts our forlorn faces up to His, looks into our eyes and reassuringly says “everything is going to be OK, because I am with you and I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And in Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and our strength, a VERY present help in trouble.” He is on the job 24/7. He doesn’t leave us when times get tough. When no one else understands, and we can’t even explain how we feel, God is there, always understanding, always ready to hold us, to carry us and to see us through! His peace passes all of our understanding. His loving kindness never ends, and His mercy endures forever!!! What a mighty God we serve!!!

Though we have troubles and the enemy is around us on every side, God does not leave us. He diligently watches over us. His hand is always ready to save those who cry out to Him. There are times when we get discouraged and think that God has left us, but He hasn’t. He never leaves us. All we need to do is call upon the name of the Lord and He will save us.

The Psalmist declared in Psalm 91 that “though a thousand may fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand, it will not come near us” and that He will give His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways; they will bear us up in their hands so we won’t even stump our toe on a rock!

God cares about you! He wants to bless you. He wants to take care of your every need. Just ask Him. Jesus declared that many times we do not have what we need simply because we did not ask. So ask, and believe and then you will receive.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Psalm 3:5
If you will only trust God and not rely on your own knowledge and limited understanding, and then acknowledge Him by talking to Him, spending time with Him, and including Him in your daily affairs, THEN He will then give you the direction that you need and guide you in the way that you need to go.

So trust Him. He will lift you up!

In today’s society, especially with the economy like it is, with doom and gloom headlines in the newpapers, on the internet and on the evening news, anxiety is a very present and common state. We have become major worry warts. We spend so much time worrying that we are virtually worrying away our lives. Worrying about what others think, worrying about what we will wear, worrying about bills, about taxes, about government, about tests, about mistakes we made or might make, worrying about our future or our kid’s future, worrying about our friends, our family, even about who will win the Superbowl, or over how we look, or how popular we are or aren’t. We are literally worrying ourselves sick.

Studies have shown that anxiety and stress can cause many sicknesses including high blood pressure, ulcers, sleep problems, headaches, immune system deficiencies, memory problems, some forms of cancer and even arthritis. Stress and anxiety can also cause mild to severe depression and even lead to alcohol and drug abuse in attempts to try to alleviate the symptoms.

Worry and stress have been plaguing people for years. People are looking for ways to deal with the added pressures of their day. People want peace of mind. They want to be able to not worry, to enjoy life, to be happy.

Back in 1988, a song came out written by Bobby McFerrin entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy. The song became the first
a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and it actaully held that position for two whole weeks. Then, in 1989 it won numerous rewards at the Grammys. The song’s message was simple and was repeated over and over throughout the entire song. People sang it. They wore it on T-shirts. Pasted bumper stickers with it on their cars.  Billboards displayed it. The message was so plain and simple, but obviously what people needed to hear–to not worry but be happy.

The Bible gives us the same message. In Luke 12:22, Jesus told His disciples not to worry about everyday life such as if we will have enough food or what clothes we need to wear. He said that life is a whole lot more than food and clothes. Life is about living and when you worry, you are literally wasting away part of it. He went on to say that worry wouldn’t do anything good for you. SO why do it? It will not accomplish anything good.

But how can we deal with anxiety? How can we really overcome it? Philippians 4:6-7 gives the answer.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

If you will REALLY take your problems, your needs, your cares, your concerns to God ask Him for His help and guidance, and  THEN follow up by thanking Him for taking care of you, you will experience His peace. He will flood you with a peace that is indescribable. But for you to genuinely experience it, you must really trust God.

You must believe that God wants to take care of you. He is a loving Father that wants to take care of your every need.
Luke 12:28-31
“And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

God loves you. He wants to take your burdens. So pray. Tell Him what you need. Know that He hears. Know that He cares. Trust Him. Thank Him. And then experience His peace!

“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.”
Luke 6:22-23

Life is not easy, especially when you decide to take a stand for Jesus. As a matter of fact, sometimes it seems even harder when we look around and see all the people that aren’t serving God seemingly so “happy go lucky”.

There have been times in my life when things were so difficult. In my efforts to stand up for God, I was literally made fun of, and “left out” because I chose to follow God rather that a “good time”. Oh it was hard. Many times I was tempted just to give in to shut up the taunting, or to just lower my standards a little just so that I wouldn’t feel so weird or different. Just once go along with the crowd so that I could fit in.

And there were times that I did. Little things like watching a movie with a friend that I knew God wouldn’t want me to see. Or talking about someone, making fun of them because everyone else was. Just little things, right?

Well, according to God, when you feel something is wrong in your heart, and you do it anyway, you are putting your flesh above your spirit. you are putting that thing you desire ahead of doing what God wants you to. And all for the sake of how you look. All for the sake of your reputation to your friends. Basically, you are putting their opinion of you higher than God’s.

Jesus knew all about being mocked. He knew all about being made fun of. His own family made fun of Him. Called him crazy. In His own hometown, the place He grew up, no one accepted Him. They didn’t believe in Him. Oh, He knew way better than you or me what it felt like to be ridiculed for what doing right.  He knew what it felt like to be all alone for not going along with the crowd. He knew what it was like to not fit in. he knew what it was like to have a calling on His life to be different. Think about it. His whole life, He had to make choices, just like you and me. He had to choose not to make fun of people, not to sneak out, not to disobey, not to look at or listen to things that everybody else was just because it was popular. But, He did it. And because of His stand, a stand that He took and died for ….. we should stand for Him.

When you do, He says… Be Happy! that’s right, be happy when others make fun of you and mock you, or put you down, or try to make you feel stupid. He said that you will be blessed! God will take care of you. Please Him, and great will your reward be!

But, reward or no reward, Isn’t He just worth standing up for?