Stand

What does it mean to stand?  What stand means to me is despite the obstacles, despite the lies being told, despite the motive of others, you stand for what is right.  Too often people give in just because it is the path of least resistance, just because they are tired and can’t take anymore.  In my own existence taking the path of least resistance has been one often travelled.  Not wanting to hurt people’s feelings, trying to accommodate people who just want things their own way even though you know that is not the best course of action.   Perhaps my trouble is not communicating effectively why I feel the way I do and proceed in the manner I deem necessary. 

Choosing to stand is half the battle.  More times than not we just accept what happens in our day to day routines, instead of drawing a line in the sand and saying I don’t believe in that and I chose to stand for what I believe in.  The other half of the battle is to make certain whether or not what you believe in is right.  This is not something that can be validated by people.  Depending upon their relationship with you, people often take the side of their allies and if you are their ally, then you have agreement not dependent upon the facts presented, but rather the relationships built.  How does one press forward without allies?  How does one fight on alone?  You do so by setting aside self, making sure that what you are fighting for is more about whether or not it is the right thing to do, and not because it is what you want to do.  It is a very hard task, standing on conviction.  People have different backgrounds, upbringing, different values, so a lot of the time judgment is clouded because our lenses are colored with our own experiences, our own circumstance, and our own beliefs, our own prejudices, our need to prove that we are worth something, our own sense of accomplishment. 

So how do we get to the point where we can agree to disagree, do so without being disagreeable.  I will tell you how.  You do so by getting to the root of the problem.  You do so by asking why until all of the issues have been brought to light and resolved.  A certain management development course teaches you to ask why five times, so let us get to the why.  Earlier I stated people cannot validate your beliefs, validation comes from your relationship with God, and the vision God gives you for your life.  Because of that relationship, you never are without an ally, and you are never fighting alone.  Having said that, you cannot always say something is God’s will, because we are not always hearers of God’s voice, not always able to discern the spirit of God.  So all we can do is the best we can, with what we have, and pray that the outcome reflects the wishes of God.  No I don’t really believe that.  What I do believe is God’s will, shall be done and he will equip those he has standing with the tools to succeed.  So my prayer is simple.  God, let thy will, be done. 

So discover the why of it, stand, and see what happens.