By Sarah Dowell

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Tim. 4:12

When I was a child, my granny sometimes took my two sisters and me to a park across the street from her apartment complex. Four bronze colored statues stood towering above us, and we each pretended one of them was our boyfriend. Their names were engraved in stone below them, but since Granny didn't know them personally, she made up "war stories" about their gal- Ian" and bravery. We imagined our valiant men facing dangerous enemies and standing tall.

Years later, my family watched a movie which showed a dramatic scene where the hero drew his sword in self-defense and declared boldly to his accuser, "Can a man live without honor?" He was taking a stand.

Doing the right thing is rarely easy. Most teens I know follow the crowd, who is following a leader, who is following the wrong path. Where are the teenagers who are willing to endure mocking and scorn from their peers just for the sake of "what's right?" We should stand up for our convictions (surely you have some!) and for other people who are being mistreated. Have you ever been silent among a group of kids who were verbally abusing a person? You are guilty by association if you say nothing to prevent the attack. Both the Word of God (hidden in your heart) and His Holy Spirit (dwelling in you as His temple) will convict you to take a stand.

What would you do if your classmates dared you to visit a tattoo parlor with them after school? Would you get a tattoo or body piercing, maybe in a private place so you could hide it from your parents? Or would you take a stand and warn them against permanently marking their body?

What would you do if your friend began watching lewd music videos? Would you look at them too? Or would you take a stand and tell her/him to turn them off because you didn't want to fill your mind with such ungodly garbage?

Three Hebrew guys were captives in a foreign land. They were commanded to bow down and worship before a golden image of the king. Refusal would have them cast alive into a furnace of fire. Do you suppose the other fellows already on their knees were tugging and pulling on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to kneel? A second chance was offered to them, but again, these three did not budge. They were willing to die for standing! You can read about their courage in Daniel 3.

When God told us to "stand fast in the liberty, " (Gal 5:1) He didn't mean for us to use it to "become a stumblingblock " (I Cor 8:9) nor "for an occasion to the flesh " (Gal 5:13). We should always do the right thing, even if it costs us embarrassment. Public opinion should not motivate our conscience. "Yea, and all that WILL live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim.3:12). Doing right is a decision. May it be your choice.

Remembering again our soldier monuments in the park, someday when I choose a boyfriend, I'll look for a strong leader, someone who will do right even in the face of opposition. My sisters and I were just silly little girls at play, but we picked courageous men "taking a stand."