Albert Einstein once said, “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” There is a lot happening in our world today, and everyone seems to have an opinion.

Especially with recent world events, it’s more important now than ever before to be secure in your personal beliefs. With today’s society, it would seem that everyone has an opinion, and the more abstract and obscure, the more popular you become. We live in a world that tends to place more value on the love of money than on human life; where having a whole family is considered ‘weird’; and where being unconventional has become commonplace. These things, among others, have really got me thinking about the importance of standing up for what I believe in.

Here are three facts about the importance of standing up for what you believe in:

Standing up for what you believe in takes courage.

Joshua 1:9 (KJV) says, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua was the successor to Moses who lead Israel into Canaan (no pressure, right?). In just the first chapter of the book, Joshua was commanded three times to be strong and of a good courage. Standing up for what you believe in takes courage. It’s not always going to be the easiest thing, and it’s not always going to be popular, but standing up for what you believe in shows that you have courage, and courage inspires respect from those who surround you (even if their opinion differs from yours).

 

Standing up for what you believe in builds confidence.

Psalm 3:6 (KJV) says, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” David was fleeing from his son when he wrote this, but he knew that ultimately standing up for what he believed in was more important than finding favour in the eyes of others (even his own son). When you stand up for what you believe in, you build confidence in your character.

 

Standing up for what you believe in breeds contentment.

It’s not always easy to stand up for what you believe in, however when you do, standing up for your beliefs breeds contentment. When we know what we believe in, and we have the evidence to back it up, we can rest content. Timothy says in his letter, 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (KJV) , “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we bought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can nothing out.” When you have a firm foundation, and the evidence to back up your beliefs, you can rest content.

There’s an old saying, “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” Be sure you have a firm foundation for your beliefs, and that you have evidence to back up what you stand for. The worst thing is to fall for popular opinion, or to agree with the latest headline just because it’s published by your favourite news source. Truly research the answers for yourself. Be your own filter.

 

Originally published as “Standing Up For What You Believe In”. Minto Express. October 7, 2015: 5. Print.

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