Standing Up And Sticking Out

If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

Grace Ann was a freshman in college when she took Philosophy 101, a huge lecture class. When the professor taught on relativism—the belief that truth is relative to each individual and cannot be fully known—Grace Ann felt compelled to point out the holes in that argument. She asked the professor if he believed that relativism was true. When he said he did, she mentioned that if relativism says there is no absolute truth, its proponents can’t even say that it is true.

The professor smirked and said he had heard that argument before. He told Grace Ann that she should start thinking for herself now that she was in college and not fall back on the beliefs she was raised on.

He then said he would be happy to put any other naive freshmen in their place. Grace Ann shrank down in her seat, embarrassed and a little angry.

After class, several students thanked her for taking a stand. Even students who didn’t agree with her said they admired the fact that she stood up for what she believed. The rest of the semester, Grace Ann continued to feel like the professor singled her out, so she always tried to be prepared for class and make comments that were respectful yet pointed toward a godly worldview. She stuck with the class and got a decent grade despite her professor’s obvious dislike of her. But the greater reward was that she was faithful to the Lord and His Word.

God uses even the smallest daily acts of courage to build up His people, share His glory, and grow His Kingdom. Defending the weak, befriending the lonely, healing the broken, sharing the gospel, proclaiming the truth—those are the things Jesus spent His earthly ministry doing. And those things require great courage from us as we live in a way that shows what we truly believe.

Rest Assured

Lord, give me courage and confidence to speak the truth in Your mighty name and to trust You with the results.

Rest in Him: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18