Where is the happy medium? Often we either drift to the right or to the left and find the middle hard to stay on because “straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt 7:14.  The devil has great patience. We sometimes use the expression “having the patience of Job” but I believe the devil has much more patience than Job. The devil stuck right in there until God took him in hand. I see parents give into their children when they ask for things over and over. Parents feel like they have the situation in hand but as the child begins to ask over and over, you can see the parent begins to weaken and give in little by little until the child wins in the situation. God’s word says, “And let us not get weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Gal 6:9. 

As we start out on our walk with God our hearts are so in tune with what the Spirit wants that we are happy to do all God wants of us. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandants: and his commandants are not grievous. 1John 5:3. The devil has all the time he needs to wear us down and often before we know it he has made inroads into our life. I think one of the biggest tricks he pulls is in the area of “convictions”. Convictions are very good things to guide us with if we ASK God first what our convictions should be. Often we are influenced by friends, our environment, our family and yes, even by other saints.  

I have visited in many congregations and you can see the same hair-do, clothes, type of singing and a set pattern of preaching. Are these things all wrong? No, but I believe that if we do these things just because others do or because we feel like it is expected, maybe these reasons are wrong. I believe all new converts should be encouraged to seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt 6:33. 

I remember when I first got saved 36 years ago and at that time divine healing was preached on regularly. I had some serious afflictions after I got saved and was caused to believe that I needed to trust God for those afflictions. This faith was not of my own but of others. I thought if I did not trust in God that I would lose my salvation.  I was trying to walk in someone else’s shoes. The devil  tried to convince me because I was not healed that I was also not saved. It was a real struggle for me. We need to be careful of what we try to put on others. 

Salvation is a wonderful gift from God and there is nothing but good in the things of God. God has made us all different and we all have our own circles that we travel in. I do firmly believe that if a greater manifestation of God’s love would be shown more people would have a desire to be saved. We cannot and should not believe that only if people believe like us, or “go to the same church” as we do, are going to heaven. God’s church is a spiritual house made up of “lively stones”. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5.  When we are saved God places us in the body and no man can put us in or take us out. Praise God! 

I have heard it said that there will be people in heaven who we thought would never make it and people would be missing who we thought for sure would be there.  

Can we DARE to be true to what God shows us as individuals? Can we DARE to ask God for His opinion on what he wants for our lives? What we wear or where we go? Can we DARE to stand for what is right even when our friends don’t? Can we DARE to stand for what God shows us even when the saints or even the pastor says we are wrong? Can we DARE to be true to the baby who came from His heavenly home, to the boy who grew in subjection to His Heavenly father, to the man who went about doing good, healing all manner of disease, casting out devils, feeding the hungry, comforting the sad, to the Savior who died on Calvary for the unsaved, and to the King of Glory who rose to prove all that the Father said was true? Can we DARE to do that? 

I WOULD BE TRUE by Howard A. Walter