Stand Up

Stand up, stand up for Jesus...These are the words to a Christian Hymn that we are taught as young ones. But what do these words really mean?

We, as humans, have the right to stand up for what we believe in. We have the right to stand up for what we deserve We have the right to stand up for our faith. We have the right to stand up for equal opportunities.

The most important thing that we have the right to stand up for is our God. Without God, we wouldn't be here. So why wouldn't we "Stand up for Jesus"???

As a young woman of faith who attends a public university, I have been faced with people who do not believe in God or who demoralize the Catholic faith.

I have had people tell me "you're a Catholic, and I'm a Christian, therefore we don't believe in the same things"....but wait, when it comes down to the bottom line, we both believe in the exact same thing: an amazing God who created this world and everything in and on it.

So yes, the churches that we belong to have different rules...but remember the common thing: GOD!

Almost every single day, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have been raised in a family where faith was important. We went to church every weekend, and for a long time, we sat in the same pew with my Grandparents. You didn't get to play with toys or eat snacks-you sat there and paid attention and read your Catholic books about prayers/mass/confession or else you would get a dirty look from Grandpa. Oh, and there was no going to the bathroom..if you had to go, you went after communion when you were returning to your seat. Those were the rules, and you followed them.

In high school, my family also attended the Salvation Army.  Playing in the brass band and being involved in the Salvation Army helped me to understand that we all have different beliefs...but that the common theme is our amazing God. I made some of my closest friends in this time, and was challenged to grow even more in my faith because I was surrounded by people who had an unconditional love for him.

Having attended private school for K-12, I was never really faced with people challenging my faith until I went to college. While I am lucky to have few stories to tell about people challenging my faith, it has still happened. But every time that it has happened, it has helped me to grow even more in my faith and to develop my relationship with Him even more.

Whether you believe in God or not, I respect that. And even though it is hard to accept sometimes, we, as humans, have to remember that we all have our own thoughts, beliefs, morals, etc.  We have to remember that even if someone doesn't have the same beliefs as us, we must still show respect to them..because like the golden rule says: treat others as you want to be treated.

So always remember that we live in an ever-changing world where we are faced with hardships every single day.  We will be faced with people who do not agree with us in one-way or another day-in and day-out. Respect others and their beliefs. Treat others as you want to be treated. Show love and compassion the same way that you want to receive love and compassion. Show support to those in need, lend a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, and most importantly, help others to believe in whatever they choose to believe in, so that they may find the same sense of comfort and belonging that you have.