Stand Firm – Week Two

Imagine you are on an airplane. Now, imagine that plane hits turbulence, and there is a sudden drop. What do you do? I know from experience a few of you scream, some of you remain seemingly undisturbed, and most of you grab for something to hold on to.

While for some of us, it has been a while since we have been on a plane, I doubt it has been long since life has felt a bit bumpy. When things feel unsteady, it is natural to reach out for something to stabilize yourself. So what is it you are holding onto?

Too often, when life takes us by surprise, we grab for the wrong things. We look to money, people, or circumstance to help us. We hope for a better future, where our expectations are met and our dreams come true. We anticipate things aligning just right. We tell ourselves – then we will have peace, then life will be good, if only…

But what happens when those things don’t happen, and our plans start to unravel? If you are like me, you want to run away, give up, or start over. But what if you could find steadiness right where you are? Not in the someday but in the today.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul calls us to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13 NASB) Steadiness is not only possible in the hard times; it is for the hard times. Just like the original readers of the book of Ephesians, we live in an evil day. And we, too, must stand firm.

Many of us are familiar with Paul’s explanation of the armor of God. But do you know what stands out to me from this passage – how many times the command to be strong and stand firm is repeated. Why is this? I cannot say for sure, but I think Paul understood the human tendency to give up.

Quitting is the easy route. Standing firm and staying the course takes courage, faith, and endurance.

Let’s be clear, standing firm doesn’t mean we never start something new or close a door. But as a friend recently reminded me, there is a considerable difference between quitting and finishing well. There are times God opens a new chapter in our lives or calls us to let go of the past. That is not quitting, but instead is moving forward with purpose.

Quitting is marked by distress, anxiety, overwhelm, insecurity, and giving up. Standing firm is characterized by purpose, strength, humility, and consistency.

Quitting is marked by defeat. Standing firm is characterized by victory.

Quitting surrenders to circumstances. Standing firm overcomes circumstances.

Quitting serves the purpose of the evil one. Standing firm surrenders to God’s purpose.

Listen to the insight Paul gives to the Corinthian believers, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Our ability to stand firm and not quit is dependent on what we are holding onto. Either we grasp at the temporary, or we grab onto the eternal. The temporary is limited to what we can see and control; the eternal is connected God, who is without beginning or end. Anything placed on the scale alongside God’s eternal glory will always come out deficient.

Friends, God is inviting you to let go of what you can see and control and anchor yourself to His eternal weight of glory. Hold on to Him—stand firm. And don’t give up!