By: D. A. Slinkard
Continuing on in our alphabetical journey we are now to the letter “U” and our word is “upstanding.” I wonder how different our world would be if we had more people striving to be upstanding individuals? The definition of this word is, “Marked by integrity.” This is definitely something that is lacking in our society these days as we have a mockery running about. I can remember a time when if you saw someone in trouble you would go and help the individual. Today, the society we live in, people want to grab their phone and start recording a video rather than coming to the aid of someone else.
How does a person become upstanding? I believe it all begins and ends with their principles. What matters most to you – the important issues – will determine whether or not you are an upstanding person. Too often we have people who are willing to turn a blind eye on their integrity if it means they can better position themselves in life. Integrity is what we say, what we do, and what we say, we do. Show me a person with a high sense of integrity, and I will show you an upstanding individual.
The principles that made the United States of America the strongest nation in the world is no longer being taught in our society. We have a generation of Americans who are growing up despising this great country. I am an American, and I am proud of my country and the freedoms we have here; yet we have fellow countrymen who are ashamed of our country. We have a generation growing up believing that a man can get pregnant. We have a generation growing up believing that a woman can become a man, and a man can become a woman. Reality check – they cannot. We have thrown common sense out the window.
I firmly believe for us to get our country back in the direction and order it needs to be going would require us to turn back to God. Is it too late? Can the United States of America turn back to God? I wish the answer was a simple one, but honestly, I believe we have too much wickedness abounding throughout our country. We have homosexuality abounding. We have abortion abounding. We have sinful desires abounding. As a nation, I believe we are a disgrace to God because of what we allow to happen and, yes, we allow it to happen.
For this word “upstanding” there has to be a guideline to measure with, and this guideline is given to us in the Bible. The problem is that many people underestimate what the Bible is. Too many people look at the Bible as being just another book written by man instead of viewing it as being the inspired Word of God. People do not spend enough time reading God’s Word to understand His way of thinking. The closer a person grows to God, the more likely you will find them to be upstanding, to be a person marked by integrity.
We have a lot of divides in our country, and it should not be that way. We have a group that wants Christians to be tolerant of others, but this very group does not want to be tolerant of Christian viewpoints. We are headed down a slippery slope, and the question remains as to whether or not we can rebound and return to God. It will take effort and it will take work. I can only speak for myself, but the moment I placed my trust in Jesus Christ, God did something to me; He changed my life. Who I was is not who I am now, and I owe it all to Jesus.
I am a nobody wanting to tell everybody about the somebody who died for me. God has given me an opportunity to use this as a platform, and I do not take it lightly. We desperately need God in our lives, in our homes, in our community, in our nation, in our world. However, it is going to take work to get our nation back – is it worth it? Absolutely it is. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. We need God to show us where we are wrong, help us to get it right, and be able to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to Him…and in doing so, we will epitomize the word “upstanding.” God, please help us.
By: D. A. Slinkard
D.A. Slinkard would love your feedback. You can contact him at da.slinkard@gmail.com
April 19, 2024
