Stand firm

Isaiah 7:9 says "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

Standing firm in your faith is not an easy thing to do. Even with the recognizable definition of faith being "Believing in what you cannot see," going out on that limb with a firmness and comfortability seems almost unattainable. But more and more I'm finding that it is very attainable, because even a little faith can go a LONG way.

This is my first year at college, and it has been difficult adjusting to being away from home and having to make my own decisions. How cool is it that I am growing up, right? Well it is also very scary. I've had to really stand up for what I believe in, especially when encountering others who don't share the same beliefs as me. One of the hardest things I have had to do is stand firm in my faith when others are consistently knocking me down. But the cool thing is, I can keep getting back up through the help of my Savior. Sure, Isaiah says that if you do NOT stand firm in your faith, you will NOT stand at all. But that just means that the opposite holds true as well- if you DO  stand firm in your faith, you WILL continue to stand. And even if you fall down, you will be able to get back up because you have that friend to lean upon. Bee-tee-dubs, His name is Jesus.

I am learning this year that standing firm in my faith may seem hard, but once I do it it reaps many benefits. For example, I always feel better knowing that people recognize me as "that Christian kid" rather than any other comparison they might make. Also, I'm finding that all it takes is one person to be brave enough to stand strong in their faith for others to join you. When I came to my school, some people told me that I would have a tough time encountering Jesus because it isn't a private Christian school. However, I am discovering more and more that God can be found at my school just as easily as He could be at a private Christian college. My first few weeks here I felt like I was incredibly alone, but all it took was for me to express my relationship with Christ for others to appear in my life who shared the same beliefs as me. I have found Christ here because I have chosen to find Him here. I am content with my college choice, and am glad I have chosen to stand FIRM in my faith, because I know that God will help me stand.

And so it goes..

"And of a childlike faith, and of my honest praise. Of my unashamed love."