John 12:42-43 says, “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”
I am sure you have already heard about the uproar concerning the 2009 Miss USA pageant. A gay celebrity blogger asked a California beauty queen contestant a question about “gay marriage” during the Miss USA pageant, hosted in anything-goes…what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…Las Vegas.
Miss California, though, stood by her Christian beliefs, and some think it may have cost her the crown. Her name is Carrie Prejean, age 21. She told a nationwide TV audience on Sunday that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. She eventually finished runner-up to Miss North Carolina, but she says she has no regrets about her answer.
“By having to answer that question in front of a national audience, God was testing my character and faith,” she told Fox News. “I’m glad I stayed true to myself.”
She told NBC’s “Today” show, “It’s not about being politically correct. For me, it was being biblically correct.” She added, regarding her missed opportunity to win the crown, “It wasn’t what God wanted for my life that night.”
Wow! I would love to ask this young lady more about her faith and who discipled her. At some point in her Christian growth she became convinced that there are absolutes. A follower of Christ, a disciple, lives by these truths.
How often do we deny Christ because we know it will cost us something? How often do we respond for the “praise from men” rather than the “praise from God?”
I applaud this young ladies’ faith and her strong stand on a very important issue. She is right…it’s not about being politically correct, but biblically correct!
The challenge for us each day is to stay true to our belief and not deny the Lord at any point in our journey of faith. Unlike this “flip flop” group described in John 12, our heart’s desire is to “confess our faith” before our family, our friends, our work associates, our world. This is our mission!
Thanks Allen, great comments about her strong stand for what is biblical and not what is popular!
Ironically, in my opinion, Miss California won by losing. That often happens when we respond to provocation with grace under pressure. By speaking out in favor of traditional marriage, she took a strong stand in favor of the truth, and for that she deserves our applause.