Yesterday we considered what it means to be salt and light in your world. Sometimes the best way to influence others and break through the darkness is to simply stand for what you believe.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Look again at the passage above where Paul challenged his readers to “stand firm in the faith” and then “let all that you do be done in love.”

You might have seen this in a news report, but some media outlets reported that a Philadelphia Flyers Hockey player, Ivan Provorov, refused to wear a rainbow jersey during warm-ups during “Pride Night” due to his Russian Orthodox faith. In the clip I watched he stated that he respects everyone, but he stated, “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”

What do you think of his decision to not participate in the pregame warmups? What is unloving about his response?

I am reminded of how Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego courageously stood while everyone else bowed to the image King Nebuchadnezzar erected. While we know that story ends in triumph, but in the moment those men only knew they must stand in order to honor God and that was their priority. And they still encourage us today.