Stand Firm

By standing firm, you will win your souls.

Luke 21:19

ONE OF THE best testimonies to unbelievers is how believers stand firm in troubling times. For instance, Merrilee faced a terrible fight against breast cancer. All her friends and coworkers visited her in the hospital to encourage and comfort her. But funny thing: because Merrilee was a Christian, she had more encouraging and comforting words for them than they did for her.

As she testified of her love for God and her confidence in him no matter what happened, many of those visitors were astounded. Some wanted to know more about this Jesus she believed in and served.

In the end, Merrilee lost her struggle with breast cancer. But she didn’t lose the struggle in her friends’ minds. At her funeral, many spoke of how her serene spirit and encouraging words had led them to faith and made them long to be as strong and sincere as she was in her life.

At some point you will be called to stand firm in tough times. God wants you to use such times to win the hearts of your friends and others who see what happened. His promise is that through your witness some souls will be won.