How can we remain strong in the face of anti-gay attacks?

by Sparrow
(Ohio)

Great question Sparrow! GLBTs, both Christian and non-Christian, are constantly assaulted by christian "ministries" preaching lies about gays and lesbians.

The Iron Curtain has crumbled, the Soviet Union has fallen, communist China is becoming capitalist, commie Castro is slowly dying in a luxurious nursing home so the only group its still okay to hate is us.

Preaching against gays feeds into the "us against them" mentality which allows religious christians to raise money by hating the gay community.

They attack us to win political campaigns and to strengthen their political or religious power base. Karl Rove used anti-gay state referendums to extend Republican power for a few more years. Whether they're political or christian, they use us to raise money for "ministry."

1. Gay Christians remain "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might," Ephesians 6:10, by "walking in the Spirit," Galatians 5:16.
   
   
2. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by putting on "the whole armour of God," Ephesians 6:10-20.
   
   
3. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by reading, believing, memorizing and studying the Bible, always keeping it in context. If we spend more time watching TV or playing computer games than we spend with the Bible, we cannot expect to be strong.
   
   
4. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by being part of a supportive Christian community.
   
   For many, that means going to a church in your area. For others for whom going to a gay-friendly church is not an option, we become part of an online genuinely Christian community.
   
   
5. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by learning to listen to the voice of our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. "I am the good shepherd... My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me..." -Gospel of John 10:11, 27.
   
   In essence, listening to the voice of the Shepherd means spending time in the written words of God, see #3 above, and obeying what God shows you.
   
   
6. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by discovering our spiritual gifts and focusing on the ministry God opens for us. Too many of us sit around instead of getting active at whatever level we're capable of and serving Jesus in spite of difficulties and opposition.
   
   
7. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by telling others about Jesus in some way, either by passing out tracts and learning how to witness or by participating in an online ministry or by mailing gospel tracts and gospel literature from your home.
   
   Throughout his Christian life, my Dad always witnessed. When he was working 72 hours a week to support his family, he often had little free time to go witnessing. So in the evening he would get out the phone book and a stack of envelopes and gospel tracts.
   
   Then he would hand-write addresses from the phone book and mail them a gospel tract. He made time to witness no matter how busy he was.
   
   
8. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by remembering that the battle is the Lord's. He is our strength so daily and moment by moment we rest in the Lord, Psalm 37:7.
   
   
9. Gay Christians remain strong in the Lord by refusing to make nice with false teachers and refusing to accept, believe or settle for the false teaching that is so prevalent today.

Original question:

Pastor Rick, as a man of God who knows the Scripture... in your everyday humanity, do you ever "grow weary in well doing" as far as carrying our unique torch of truth?

In listening daily to 24/7 Christian talk radio, I find myself at times feeling overwhelmed, weighed down, defeated, by their biases and lack of understanding regarding us. Great nationally renowned "men of God" are SO certain in their interpretations of Scripture, and are SO simplistically black-and-white in their deductions, that I find their words can erode my resolve and strength if I'm feeling weak.

How do YOU remain strong in the face of such bombardment? And how, when you hear these men's prejudices, do you keep their eroding, dispiriting, draining effect from infecting your own resolve?