Stand Up~ A Spiritual Article by Rachel Melillo

It started out as a normal Friday morning. They had just finished going over homework when the teacher asked seven specific students to go outside the classroom. Without warning, a minute later they were blindfolded, pushed down a hallway and into a back stairwell and then tied up. The hostage takers and their hostages sat there blindfolded and tied up.

Is this what we think will happen if we stand up for our faith?

I see too many Christians walking around like spies in a foreign country; afraid to be detected and overly focused on fitting into the culture. We don’t have time for disguises. We don’t have time to fit in. For those of us who are in a public high school, you have four years to make the difference in someone’s life. The chances of someone coming to know Christ goes down dramatically after they leave high school. So what’s keeping us from making our faith plain to see?

Our reputations have become more important than our faith. Where would we be today if Joseph had been too concerned with his reputation as a good carpenter and honorable man to continue his betrothal to Mary? What would have happened if Paul let his desire to have a good reputation in society be more important than standing up for Christ and the Church? Are we going to let our desire to have a good reputation in our school be more important than standing up for our faith?

We can’t let that happen. I have a friend who calls me Jesus freak, or J freak, everyday, all the time. At first I thought to myself “Hey, I’m a witness for Christ!” Now I’m sick of it. Does that mean I turn from my conservatively Christian beliefs and let them decide how I should live my life? Does that mean that I should hide the most important part of who I am because I’m tired of a nickname?

High school is four years of our lives. We cannot let ourselves be pushed into whatever our friends want us to do. We can’t let our reputations be more important than our faith. We cannot allow fear define who we are and what we do. We need to stand up.

Note from Rachel: The opening scenario was a planned activity by a teacher and known by all students. It was also not aimed at Christians. Do not fear that you will be taken hostage if you stand up for your faith.

Note from Haylie: Has there been a time in your life where you took and stand for your faith? Do your friends know that you are a Christian? Do they know because you said you are or because they have seen it in how you live your life? The LAT staff and I encourage you to take a stand for your faith. If you have a story of how you took a stand, please email it to us. Click here.

                                             Remember, when you stand up, you are not alone.