August 16 Bible Reading Plan

"Always stand on principle...even if you stand alone.”

-John Adams (1)

The older I get, the more I believe in the importance of having strong personal convictions—unshakeable beliefs that you are willing to fight for, die for, or, more commonly, stand firm on.

As Christians living in the twenty-first century, these convictions are frequently attacked. Still, we cannot compromise in these areas. Instead, we must stand firm.

Throughout my life, I have always believed I was a man of strong convictions. I've always been passionate about what I believed in and have done my best to stand by those convictions, no matter what. And yet, it wasn't until I reached my late thirties or early forties that I truly saw the importance of identifying my convictions. By that, I mean taking time to sit down and list beliefs and convictions I was unwilling to bend. As always, this decision resulted from hard times when people asked me to bend, and I realized I just could not.

I want Paul's words to be able to be said to me.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. -Philippians 1:27 (ESV)

Sure, it is often easier to bend or compromise, but at the end of the day, I have to look in the mirror and respect what I see. I'm the one who is going before God in prayer, knowing that I put pleasing someone else over pleasing Him. Ultimately, I'm the one who will have to give account to God for my life. This includes every decision, every word, and every compromise. (Matthew 12:36-37) When that day comes, I want to hear Him say, "Well done," not "What were you thinking?"

This is why we all need to be men of conviction. It means identifying what we believe and how far we will go to stand by those beliefs.

One thing that helped me through this process was making a list of beliefs that I could not compromise. This list included essential beliefs and personal convictions that I could not abandon.

It's important not to minimize the value of personal convictions, even if they seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Over the years, I have learned that how we respond when our personal convictions are questioned helps us prepare for the times when our concrete beliefs are attacked.

This is the heart of an unbreakable man of God. He knows what he believes and refuses to abandon his convictions.

Bibliography:

"John Quincy Adams Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2024. 11 August 2024. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_quincy_adams_122484