Stop "Taking A Stand" for Jesus!

Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and currently sits at the right hand of the Father.  He promises to return one day.

So with that said, where has this idea come from that Jesus needs you or anybody else to stand up for Him?

Jesus does not need you or anybody else to take a stand for Him.  He's not in danger.  He's at the right hand of God after all.  He is sitting as the Lord of all creation.  All power and authority on heaven and earth are His.  He wants for nothing.  He holds the entire world in His hands.

Needless to say, I think it's fair to say that Jesus Christ is doing pretty well where He is at.

And in light of such things, I think it's fair to say that Jesus does not need us to "take a stand" for Him in the public arena.  He's not calling you or anybody else to boycott Disney, Starbucks, or Wells Fargo.  He's not calling on you to demand prayer be put back in public school, or to make sure that the U.S. Treasury keeps vainly printing "In God We Trust" on the back of dollar bills.  He doesn't need the Ten Commandments erected as a monument outside of court houses.

Instead of trifling in such matters, I think the Lord is calling us to do something else entirely.

We often point to individuals like the prophet Daniel and his three friends as "taking a stand" for the Lord in the midst of Babylon, and point to them as an example of how we ought to live.  But make no mistake about it, Daniel and his friends never once took a bold stand for the Lord.  They were simply those who remained faithful to stand before the Lord while the rest of the world bowed before a graven image.

Likewise, I believe the Lord is calling us to be faithful witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the uttermost ends of the earth.  He is calling us to practice justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.  If we take a stand for anything, it should be the stand we take on behalf of those who have cannot stand up for themselves.   He's calling us to love our neighbors even as we love ourselves.  He wants us to deal kindly with them, and be a source of blessing in their lives, instead of a source of contention.  He wants us to share the grace we have received in our lives with others, who are desperately in need of the same saving grace.

Above all, I believe Jesus Christ wants us to disengage from the culture wars.  Stop fighting to turn America back to Jesus.  America never has had Jesus.  If it did, she would've crucified Him just like the Jews and the Romans did.

Jesus will deal with America in His own time.  She will eventually go the way of all nations.  And until that time, simply share your faith with those around you.  Be bold, and tell somebody about the hope that is within you.  Pray for the salvation of those within your sphere of influence.  And show others the same mercy that Christ has shown you.  And in doing such, you may just see hearts and minds transformed, and souls snatched from an eternal flame.

And if somebody wishes you "Happy Holidays" at Christmas time, don't correct them by wishing them a "Merry Christmas" in return.