Are you brave enough to say "Yes"?

I have to admit something. I am afraid. What has happened in Paris frightens me. ISIS terrifies me. Because I know that I am exactly the kind of person that ISIS hates. I am a woman who holds a position of authority at my workplace. I speak my mind. I give direction to men and they follow. Even worse, I am a Christian. I am determined to love the brokenhearted, to serve the least, to spread the hope and freedom that drives my life. I am terrified because I have made a decision that might cost me my life. I have decided to die for Christ.

Every day when I wake up I make this decision. Sometimes that death looks like a death to self. I might sacrifice my time, energy, or money to serve or love others in the name of Christ. Sometimes that death looks like the killing of my sinful heart that I have to do to become more like Him. Every day I accept that it might be the day that someone holds a gun to my head and asks if I'm a Christian. If that ever happens, my answer will be yes. Will I be afraid? Probably. I hope that if I am ever put in that situation that God will take away my fear. But my fear will not affect my answer. My answer will be yes.

Every day that I see another ISIS attack my heart sinks. Shootings like the Oregon college shooting hit too close to home. As tension and anger in the world increase, so do the chances that I'll have to give my answer. And so do the chances that you'll have to answer that question.

Today the Christian faith is bombarded with questions designed to crack our foundations; questions about homosexuality, abortion, taxes, political candidates, and even coffee cups. American politics alone challenge Christian beliefs. We allow our beliefs to become watered down by continually compromising in areas that we do not have permission to compromise. We allow other people's opinions to back us out of standing up for what Scripture says. Even worse, we allow fear of other people's opinions change where we stand. Before we know it we become more aware of the people we are trying to avoid rather than the God we are trying to serve.

2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 1 Peter 3:16, 1 John 3:13, Luke 6:22, and 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 guarantee that Christians will experience some form of persecution. You can expect people to disagree with your beliefs. You can expect to be attacked and criticized for holding a Biblical stance. But my friends, it's not the end of the world. There are worse things than being called a bigot. Check your heart, reread Scripture, look for wise council for things you don't understand, but don't change what you know is true.

John 8:32 tells us that the truth sets us free! When we have Scripture to tell us what is true, we don't have to worry about what we think. We have truth, and we don't have to depend on our own opinions or feeble arguments to justify how we feel. We are free from all of that!

My friends, it is time that I speak up. Do not allow yourselves to be caught in petty political arguments. Walk in the faith and speak when someone wants to hear what you have to say! Love first. Give them a reason to listen. Earn respect, don't demand it. Don't back down on your stance, but don't shove it in their faces either. If you allow yourself to get caught up in petty arguments, you will find yourself torn to shreds by a person with planned responses. (Matthew 7:6.) Don't allow yourself to be clouded by things as insignificant as red cups.

If today you were forced to look down the barrel of a gun and instantly decide if you are willing to die for your faith, do you know what your answer would be? Do you trust yourself to answer what you want to answer? When we let go of our control of our lives we realize that every day is a gift! We are not entitled to tomorrow. And when you let go of tomorrow, your plans for today suddenly become much more intentional.

What will your answer be?

My answer will be YES!!!