When do we take a stand?

The older I get the more this world seems to have lost its moral fabric. I realize how imperfect and sinful humanity is, even the people who seem so righteous. As my eyes become more mature and experienced in this world, I realize just how conformed we have become to this earth and how far we've strayed from our God.

My heart is breaking. It breaks when I realize the truths of our humanity and our sins. Christian or not, this world seems to become bleaker every passing day. Where is the hope? Where is the compassion? Where is the morality? 

This world will never get it right. And as a christian the only hope I have is to choose Christ. Die to myself and live in the Lord. What does that mean? It means exactly what Romans 12:2 explains, don't conform to the ways of this world. I need to stop living in the ways of this earth, because the more I do the less hope there is. 

Did you know that Atlanta Georgia ranks as one of the highest U.S. Cities for child sex trafficking? 200-300 children are exploited sexually in Atlanta every month. Imagine how many children are falling victim to this illegal industry annually in Atlanta alone. Even more alarming, Atlanta is the 10th largest child sex industry in the world. 

When does this reality become real? When do we stop, digest these realities, and decide to take action? 

It wasn't until I worked with low-income families that I started caring about poverty and those who suffer from it. It wasn't until I had a friend whose parent struggled with drug addiction that I started to take action on drugs and its tragic effects. But, I encourage you to read these realities, these numbers and realize that regardless of how far away this issue is from your immediate life, you need to stand up and do something. You can't wait until this problem comes knocking on your door.

This is our modern day slavery. This is the worst kind of slavery that any child or woman could endure. And it is happening in our backyards. In our American cities that should have a stronger moral structure than that. And the more we turn our backs and ignore it, the greater this problem will become. 

As a woman I feel empowered to know that I have opportunities. I can be anything I want to be. And if I have this freedom I need to use it to help other sisters in Christ have the same choices. Their lives shouldn't be maimed by someone else's exploitative actions.

So how do you become part of the solution? How do you stand above this injustice and let your voice be heard?

First, make your self aware. Pick up a local newspaper and you read the news about it. You will be astounded at the amount of stories that talk about prostitution rings and sexual exploitation. It is everywhere, even in Maryland. Even in Howard County. This problem infests itself in every crevice of this world, because let's face it...in our culture sex sales...

Second, talk about it with your women's groups, your friends, and the your communities. God created women for a special purpose in this world.  He made us stronger in numbers, so lets gather as many strong-willed women and get our communities aware. 

Third, pray! God is the ultimate King, even in this sin-strucken world. When he hears us cry out for those who suffer He answers. 

Why should you even care? This is what changed my life...I realized that if this doesn't stop here, at this point of its growth, then whats to say one day our culture will actively accept this norm? With sexual advertising growing and becoming more outrageous each year, it could well be our daughters who find this reality sitting on their front door steps. 

As Christians God has called us to be his activists in this world. He depends on us to turn ourselves away from the earth's notion of right and wrong and hold strong in His truths. Our world is using sex in the wrong ways. The way our culture views and perpetuates sex undermines the fruits of our God and promotes a false perception of a woman's worth.

Let this be the moment that you stand up and say "STOP." Let this be the moment that you find a way to give to this movement that is fighting to remind our world of the purity and beauty of a woman. 

Today I am thankful that God gave me a life void of this reality, but that he has ignited my heart to help those who are sexual slaves. 

I encourage you to watch this short film, The Candy Shop. This film was created to help inform and grow the movement in Atlanta working to fight against the sexual exploitation of children. 

This is our time ladies! The greatest issue affecting us in our lifetime. This is our opportunity to remind the world of the true purpose for women in God's Kingdom. If we don't take a stand then who will? And if we wait until it hits our communities, it might be too late. 

Thank God for building us women with strong hearts and even stronger souls that give us the ability to rise up and overcome these injustices.