Last Standing

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.  – Philippians 4:1

I don’t know what happened to me.  Maybe it was being away from home for week.  I was near the grandkids and saw them every night.  That might have sharpened and accentuated the absence of my wife.  I had a dream last night.  I was somewhere, working, I think, and the phone rang.  When I answered it, I heard Vickie talking.  I said, “Hey, Boss, when did you wake up?  You’ve been out of it for weeks, you know.”  I don’t remember what she said, just the sound of her voice.  I woke up because I had to go wherever she was. 

That’s the way I was over the weekend, and I couldn’t put it into words.  I felt like I need to be wherever she is because I need to take care of her.  I’ve always done that.  I know, consciously, she’s with the Lord, she is being taken care of, and all of her fears are gone.  But taking care of her is my default mode.  It’s automatic.  That’s what I do.  Through four decades that is what I have done.  How can it be that I just stop?

You might ask what that has to do with the verse above.  Sunday, especially, after church, I felt like I could not go on.  Everybody has probably reached a point of mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion and had the thought that it was impossible to keep going.  What do you do when you cannot “ …  press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” as Paul says just a few verses prior?  By the way, that verse, Philippians 3:14, is the one that is engraved on our headstone.   

Sometimes all we can do is stand, and that is enough, so Milton’s sonnet concludes:  They also serve who only stand and wait.  Or, as the prophet Isaiah says (with added emphasis):  

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

And Paul again admonishes:  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore … (Ephesians 6:13-14). 

Just because I can’t go forward, because I don’t know where to go or what to do, it doesn’t mean I should give up or quit or fall back.  When I don’t know what else to do, I can stand, and I can wait.  No matter how long it takes.

Standing In Good

This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and have prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand therefore … -- Ephesians 6:13-14

Over the weekend I heard a pastor say, "We don't move on." He was talking about something a little different. To me, though, it sounded a lot like: stand -- or stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

Where we are is where we are supposed to be. Jesus said (Matthew 24:23): If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! There is no need to run from place to place, situation to situation, or person to person trying to find the “right one”. The Lord is where I am, or, better, I am where the Lord is.

The Lord has provided us with victory and power and grace in our present circumstances. He asks us only to stand firm, in faith and dependence on Him. That such an attitude is not only contrary to the world’s mindset, but often to what happens in churches and among Christian leaders, is obvious. Our human nature seems to compel us to advance, even when “progress” is detrimental. All grace and power and understanding is available to us where we have been placed.

The other side is that we are not to retreat or give ground to the pressures and attacks coming against us. And they come to all of us no matter where the Lord has placed us to make our stand. This is not about winning. We have already won, and our first requirement is to recognize that. It is finished.

When Jesus began to teach His disciples about His coming suffering and crucifixion, Peter said, No, Lord, that’s not going to happen to You. Jesus responded, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” The devil does not come after me in red scales with horns and bifurcated tail. His voice is the voice of one dear to me, one I trust. With another he may even use my voice if I am the trusted one. I may be the one telling my brother or sister, “You don’t have to put up with this. You should just …” – walk away, give up, get out, quit, sue, or whatever. If you hear me say that, don’t listen to me. If I or an angel from heaven tells you that you really cannot trust God, that He didn’t really mean that, that you cannot endure -- ignore that voice, though it should sound ever so soothing and familiar. It is, nevertheless, the voice of your adversary.

But, what if I have given ground already? What if I have listened to those seductive voices and retreated? The bad news is that I will have a battle. The good news is that all I have to do is stand. Always, always, where I am is where God will meet me with the eternal conquest of Christ. Never am I to think, Well, I surrendered that high point in my life. I see now I was mistaken. I should go take it back on my own, and then the Lord will be with me again.

There’s no need for me to worry about that. I have only to pick up my shield, turn and face the enemy, and stand. My adversary will find me, but the Lord is here.

However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches. Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter, but keeping God's commandments does. Each person should remain in the life situation in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity (1 Corinthians 7:17-21).