You Can't Ride the Fence!

             59 years ago tomorrow, I gave my life to Christ and was baptized.  I had decided several months before that I needed to take that step, but two things held me back.  First, I was afraid of water.  I know it’s stupid now, but to that preteen girl who hated those awful boys who always tried to dunk the girls at the pool, I dreaded the thought of my head going underwater. 

            My second excuse was even worse.  Several of my friends had already taken that step and I couldn’t see any difference in them, so I figured what was the point.  Lame, huh? 

            The truth is that there are people all over the world who have those same two excuses, although I must admit, theirs are a lot more serious than mine.  They are afraid to accept Christ because in doing so they will be risking their families, their livelihood, their freedom, and maybe even their lives.  Others see Christians as hypocrites, playing “goody two shoes” on Sunday and then acting like everyone else the rest of the week.  So, like me, they use excuses to keep them from making the greatest decision of their lives.

            So, what changed for me on August 23, 1964?  Fortunately, I had a Sunday School teacher who wouldn’t let me ride the fence.  One Sunday morning she told us that there was no middle ground.  You were either for Christ or against Him.  You couldn’t ride the fence.  That did it!  I knew I wasn’t against Him, so I had to get the courage to take a stand for Him.  That I did that Sunday morning, and I’ve never regretted it. 

            For those who still use the “fear” excuse, we need to pray for them to overcome their fears, knowing that Christ will be with them.  Yes, the immediate future might be difficult, but the reality of the eternal future will be worth it all.

To us who claim to be Christians, it’s our job to cancel the excuses of those who see us only as hypocrites.  There are people all around us looking to see how we respond in various situations.  It may be your kids or your grandkids or in my case my niece and nephews.  Are we reflecting Christ and His values or are we living one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the week? 

The bottom line is that we can’t ride the fence.  We are either for Christ, every day and in every situation, or we are against him.  Which side of the fence are you on?

Matthew 12: 30

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hi, I'm the Sun Porch Lady

  Hi, I’m the Sun Porch Lady. I recently retired and while most of the world thinks that is a wonderful thing, I've found it to be anything but wonderful. I've been going to school and/or working since I was six years old so finding myself with nothing, but free time is a whole new experience.   I have no structure, no daily schedule, and seemingly no purpose in my life.   While that may sound like heaven, I believe that Christians never retire.   God just repurposes them. As I struggled to find new purpose and bring some structure back to my life, I turned to writing.   Over the years, I have often written devotional thoughts or put various ideas to paper.   I can’t say that I’ve ever been very good at journaling but from time to time, I have written about events in my life that taught me values or made me more aware of God working in my life.   So, to keep busy and hopefully spark an interest in others I've decided to create this blog. I’m callin...
Read more

Freedom Isn't Free!

             On Christmas night, 1776, George Washington engineered a surprise attack on Britain’s German allies, capturing 1000 Hessian troops.   The story of him and his troops crossing the icy Delaware that night gave hope to a new nation fighting for its life.   Regrettably, the celebration was short-lived.   Just a week later, the enlistments of most of his troops were ending, and it seemed unlikely that they would stay to continue the fight for freedom.   As he faced that prospect, Washington lined up his troops and offered this plea. “My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your cou...
Read more

My Mom's Legacy

                       As we celebrate “Mothers” this week, I wanted to take this opportunity to remember my Mom and celebrate her legacy.                 It’s hard to know where to start.  After all, she wasn’t famous.  She never went to college.  She never worked outside of the home until after my father retired, and she wasn’t rich.  By the world’s standards, she was pretty ordinary.  So, what makes her special?                 Her legacy starts and ends with family and friends.  She was an extrovert and never saw a stranger.  She would take your arm off if you let her, and she loved being with family and friends.  That was probably one of the few areas of contention between her and my “introvert” father.  He would have...
Read more