The movie "Captain America: Civil War" was a Hollywood blockbuster. One of my favorite quotes came from this movie. At Peggy's funeral, they use a famous quote from Christopher Markus:
"Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No, you move.'"
The older I get, the more I believe in the importance of having strong personal convictions—unshakeable beliefs that you are willing to fight for, die for, or, more commonly, stand firm on.
I say that standing firm happens more often because, at least until now, most Christians in America have not had to take civil action, go to prison, or risk death for their faith as so many who have gone before us. I know this may change in the days ahead; however, it isn't a common experience for now. Instead, most believers today are called to "stand firm"—to plant themselves like a tree against family, friends, and a society that calls us to be "tolerant." Essentially, they want us to "bend." They implore us to be "flexible" on immovable essential convictions.
As Christians living in the twenty-first century, these convictions are frequently attacked. Still, there are areas where we cannot compromise but must, as the quote says, "Plant ourselves like a tree and say, 'I'm not moving.'"
Throughout my life, I have always believed I was a man of strong convictions. I've always been passionate about what I believed in and have done my best to stand by those convictions, no matter what. And yet, it wasn't until I reached my late thirties or early forties that I truly saw the importance of identifying my convictions. By that, I mean taking time to sit down and make a list of beliefs and convictions that I was unwilling to bend on. As always, this decision resulted from hard times—moments when people asked me to "bend," and I realized I could not.
I want the words of Paul to be able to be said of me.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1:27, ESV)
Sure, it is often easier to bend or compromise, but at the end of the day, I have to look in the mirror and respect what I see. I'm the one who is going before God in prayer, knowing that I put pleasing someone else over pleasing Him. Ultimately, I'm the one who will have to give account to God for my life. This includes every decision, every word, and every compromise. (Matthew 12:36-37)
When that day comes, I want to hear Him say, "Well done," not "What were you thinking?"
This is why all of us need to be men of conviction. It means identifying what we believe and how far we will go to stand by those beliefs.
One thing that helped me through this process was sitting down and making a list of beliefs I could not compromise. Obviously, this list included the essential beliefs; however, it also contained personal convictions that I cannot abandon.
It's so important that we don't minimize the value of personal convictions, even if they seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Over the years, I have learned that how we respond when our personal convictions are questioned helps us prepare for the times when our concrete beliefs are attacked.
So, plant yourself like a tree and refuse to move off of your convictions.
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