What Are You Standing For?

If you look around hard enough...well, not even very hard actually....you will encounter someone who lives differently from you due to convictions they feel are from God. In fact, when you come right down to it, all Christians should have some basic convictions that steer their choices in life.
I'm sure you've heard that saying, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything." So my question is, "What are you standing for?"

When I look around the internet I see a lot of bloggers that have strong ideas about how to live. Sometimes you will meet people IRL that are the same way. Some are quiverfull. Some homeschool. Some work outside the home. Some have home businesses. Some are dresses only. Everywhere you look there are these ideas that scream to put you in a box.

Let's face it. Even if you absolutely love your job, aren't you a lot more than just a working woman? If you happen to wear only dresses, aren't you much more than your choice of wardrobe? What about homeschooling? Certainly there is more in your life, right? But so many people become tied to these one dimensional caricatures and allow themselves to be put in that box.

It's not that the ideas or theories are bad. But so often people believe so strongly in them that they begin to tell you THIS is how YOU should live, too or you aren't Christian enough. There is usually scripture involved to prove their point. But so many times others come away feeling ashamed that they can not or did not live an identical lifestyle. Or they come away feeling looked down on. Sometimes people will jump on the bandwagon attempting to be just like someone else.

The problem with that is the authority is simply another person. An imperfect, fleshly human. It isn't wrong to admire someone or learn from their example. But something is dreadfully wrong if you try to imitate them because it looks good or appears more Christian. Everything we do should be because we are glorifying God. Honestly if you choose to do something simply because someone you admire does it, then that isn't glorifying Him at all. It becomes more of a pride issue at that point.

I have described it like this. Yes, there are absolutes in God's word. But you must also realize that we are God's children and we are all at different points in our walk with Him. Look at my children. I have a 19 year old. He is able to make most choices on his own but he chooses to have our input on most of them. My 7 year old can do things that my 4 year old can not. But amazingly enough the 4 year old can also do some things that the 7 year old can not because she is more mature in certain things. Obviously the 1 year old needs the most protection due to his total helplessness and innocence.

So there are certain freedoms that come with growing older and growing in maturity. But what would happen if I allowed my 7 year old the same freedoms that I allow my 19 year old? Oh, my goodness, I don't even want to think about FlowerChild's reaction LOL! Also if I placed the limited freedoms of a small child on my 19 year old it would cause him to chafe, build up resentment, and become rebellious.

However because my son is 19 I also expect certain things from him, things that I know he should be able to do now because I have taught him. The same is true with each child. But what would happen if I laid the expectations of a 19 year old on my 4 year old? Her spirit would be crushed! She couldn't handle that.

In my humble opinion, Christians are no different. God speaks to us, He molds us, He changes us so that we grow and mature. We go from the milk to the meat of His word. Things I felt no conviction about 15 or 20 years ago have now become basic convictions in my life. But that is the key. They are convictions in MY life! I am so glad that He has brought me so far. And, yes, He used some wonderful people that demonstrated a different way of looking at some things and it changed my life. They lived it out without forcing it on me. So I can't turn around and become the Holy Spirit in your life telling you what your personal convictions should be. Yours is a personal walk with Jesus and we are growing at different rates in different areas. (By the way, I am not talking about blatant sin here. I am talking about the choices we make that shape our daily life.)

Here is my advice. If you see something in another person's life that speaks to your heart then take that as a living testimony of God working in their life. Then go to your Bible and your prayer closet and get serious with God. Maybe He truly is trying to speak to you through that example. But make sure your motives are purely for God and not based on looking like someone else. Stand on His word in what you do and avoid the temptation to live your life standing on other people's convictions. Figure out what He wants for your life and the life of your home and family. He loves you enough to work personally in your life, too!