“Stand firm, and you will win life.” – Jesus speaking in Luke 21:19 NIV
“Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The world is a demon. It is a kingdom of which the puny ego is king. Put it away and stand firm.” – Swami Vivekananda
I don’t know about you my friend, but the spiritual concept of standing firm has too often been a personal failure of mine.
Too many times, I have chosen to hastily act, to run from difficulty, and to flippantly sidestep and evade facing my mistakes. It seems the times I have tried to steady myself and attempted to stand firm in my own strength, I have caved in to fear, impatience, and feeble self-control.
I can’t think of a greater act of courage than standing firm. As Jesus states above, if we master this skill, we will win life.
Where have you failed to stand firm? In what areas of your life right now would you benefit by courageously taking a stand?
Let me take a moment to share some areas of my own life where I need to take a firmer stand – hopefully triggering some thoughts for you on how they might apply to specific circumstances you are facing currently.
PATIENTLY STANDING FIRM
“Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” – Psalm 37:7 NLT
“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV
It requires such tremendous courage to let go of our pride – our desire to make things happen within our own timeframes, instead of yielding to God and His perfect timing.
Have you ever known deep in your heart that the right thing to do was to wait on God to act on your behalf, but instead let impatience get the best of you? Patiently standing firm is a faithful act of non-action – allowing for the natural flow of events to transpire – humbly giving up your personal control in a matter to an omniscient God who knows the end from the beginning.
Think about how many times in your life you have interfered in God’s perfect plans and timing – impatiently making quick decisions that delayed a better outcome or result?
Are you willing to wait, to patiently stand firm for months, for years if necessary? Do you have the courage and faith to let go of your own way and wait for God’s way?
STANDING FIRM IN LOVE
“Be alert. Keep standing firm in your faith. Keep on being courageous and strong. Your every action must be done with love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 HCSB
One of the most courageous things we can do in this life is to stand firm in our love for someone – regardless of the circumstances, their indifference, or their negative behavior.
It is so easy to run from rejection, to treat someone as they treat you, or to conditionally give up versus unconditionally standing firm in love.
Think of the marriages that fail, the friendships that are thrown away, and the relationships that are destroyed because we see love as reciprocal – that it must be governed by a give-and-take standard?
I have recently decided to stand firm in my love for the people who are very special to me – irrespective of how they treat me in return. They may never speak to me again, but that doesn’t matter. I’m choosing to keep loving, to keep praying for them, and to nurture the special place they hold in my heart. I am making the choice to love them from a distance – no matter what they do or say or become.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices with the truth. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless, but love will last forever!” – 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NLT
Who in your life right now needs you to stand firm in your love for them? Could it be a wayward child, and indifferent spouse, or a distant friend? Love never fails my friend 😊
STANDING FIRM AND FACING FAILURE
“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 HCSB
It can become so easy to discount our failures – to quickly slip back into old habits and behaviors. Too many of us run from them – never wanting to admit our mistakes or damage our self-esteem by acknowledging our own wrongdoing.
This is a spiritual area of my own life right now I am determined to change – standing firm and squarely facing my failures. I am attempting not only the feat of standing firm and facing them but thinking deeply about what my future actions might be – how I can turn the failure into victory.
If I failed a friendship by acting inappropriately in the past, what can I do to mend it and become a better, more valuable friend to that person right now? If my words caused hurt in the past, how can my words heal the situation now?
Standing firmly and facing our failures, analyzing their impact on us and others, and making action-oriented decisions to correct them is EXACTLY what our God requires of us!
HUMBLY STANDING FIRM
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! – 1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV
“Stand firm and you will see the Lord’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today.” – Moses speaking in Exodus 14:13
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 NIV
One thing I am learning is how much I need to lean on God’s strength – especially when it comes to standing firm in spiritual matters. I forget my humanity that is often frail and incapable of the courage it takes to stand firm.
I bet you can relate. So many times, I have tried to do the right thing, failed in my own strength, and decided to give up – embracing the human futility of it all.
Like me, if you are struggling to stand firm in any area of your life, look to God for supernatural strength and help! Our loving God has promised to be there for us in time of need 😊 Don’t get discouraged, but get encouraged that with God’s help, you will have the courage to stand firm in anything you face!
Pray for me in my attempts to stand firm my friend, and I will pray for you as well 😊
God bless!
