The American Crisis
When you hear the word “stand,” what image comes to mind? Two images come to my mind. The first probably won’t surprise you. I think back to a football team in a goal-line stance, trying to hold the line as the opposing team attempts to score a game-winning touchdown for the championship. The excitement, the unknown, and the pressure are evident on every person in the crowd, as well as the players and coaches on the field. The second image I see is that of Jesus “standing” at the right hand of God. I see Stephen, fighting for the faith, with Jesus in full support, standing alongside him. One of these stands is out of convenience, while the other is out of conviction. What is the difference?
Webster defines both words as follows:
- Convenience: the art of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty.
- Conviction: a firmly held belief or opinion.
Have you ever thought about how these two words play out in our daily lives? Notice that one takes little effort, while the other takes a lifetime to live out. Convenience is being able to wake up in the morning, run through the Starbucks drive-thru, and get your favorite drink to start your day. However, when the line is long, you quickly realize that this convenience is something we can truly live without, and we can easily step out of line because we don’t have time for the wait that day. Things that are convenient to us can be easily given up (though they may seem hard to do without), and we can certainly live without them. Convenience items make life more enjoyable and make us smile, but in the end, we realize they are often just luxury items of life.
Then, we experience those areas of life carried out with conviction. Conviction is something we would fight for; it’s something that guides our every step, something that determines what we believe and why we believe it. A life lived under conviction means that you fully submit to a lifelong philosophy, and every action you take is guided by that philosophy. Have you ever thought about how you make decisions in your life? How many decisions do you make daily out of convenience? How many decisions do you make out of conviction? You may say that many of the decisions you make are simply convenience decisions, but I would argue just the opposite. We admire people who live a life of conviction, and frankly, many times we do not fully understand the “why” behind their decision-making process because we do not live the same kind of lifestyle.
I am reminded in Scripture of the story of Daniel and how he lived a life of conviction.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8
The phrase “purposed in his heart,” used in the King James Version, is exactly what a conviction is. Daniel became the most respected person in all of Babylon, next to the king, but early on in his life, he purposed in his heart that he would follow the Biblical standards he knew were right. The following verses reveal the reward he received for following God in every aspect of his life.
“Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel 1:9
“And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.” Daniel 1:20
As a result of living a life of conviction, God granted Daniel favor. Not only did God favor him, but the Word says Daniel was found to be ten times better than all others. The conviction Daniel lived out allowed him to experience a life of reward. It would have been convenient for Daniel to eat the food of Babylon, but he was convicted that God had a higher calling and purpose for him, and that God would rescue him and guide him through any situation he might face. We see at the end of the story of Daniel (Chapter 12), he ends his life in peace. So many mysteries had been revealed to him, and the closing of Daniel's life was even more rewarding than the entire journey itself.
This level of conviction is what our children need to see and experience daily. The battle for conviction—standing for what is right—is often shaped by the type of education our children receive. Compromise over conviction is what is taught in most classrooms across America today. We hear this all the time: “We need unity and to work together.” I could not agree with those statements more. We need unity under the blood of Jesus. It is at the feet of Jesus where there is no hierarchy, and the ground is level. The Truth of God’s Word is the only hope and unity that can be provided in fullness. We can seek unity through various forms and methods, but it is only through Jesus that we can fully receive it. Conviction leads people to unity.
Over the next several weeks, we will review examples from education and see how we have lost our conviction to teach the truth. We will begin to see how, over the course of decades, we have strayed from the conviction of Daniel and embraced a secular view of unity and truth. We must stand for truth and purpose in our hearts not to defile ourselves with a portion of the king’s meat. The government education system would love to lure us and our children into believing the lies of the enemy. Before we can begin to fully examine it, we must have a conviction within us
This is the American crisis
Mr. Euler has over 20 years of experience working in Christian Schools, 13 as a Head of School and is currently the Head of School at Word of God Academy, Shreveport, LA., a ministry of Word of God Ministries.
Website www.wogacademy.org
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