Reasons 7-8
Taken from Dr. Mark Flattery’s book:
Stand Firm: What to do When Life Knocks You Down
Here are some reasons why you must get up and stand as it relates to people in your life whom you influence:
7. You must stand because the Family of God needs you to stand.
There is a great spiritual battle being fought through the ages for the hearts and destinies of humanity. The enemy wants you to believe that what you do impacts you alone and that no one cares. This is an outright lie. Jesus Christ knows your thoughts before you think them and knew you even before you were born. He died for your sins so that you can be in right relationship with the Father. He died and rose again for
you. You matter!
You matter to God and your life matters to the family of God! Imagine that you are standing in front of one of Europe’s grand cathedrals. You would be impressed by the size of the stones and the number of stones used in building the church. A few stones on top of each other does not do much. When the stones are placed strategically by a master architect, then you see that he has built a beautiful place of worship! God, the Master Architect, is doing the same with His Church.
Jesus told Peter that he was a rock and on that rock He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18), Later, Peter wrote that we are each living stones who are being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4–5) and that Jesus is the Cornerstone (1 Peter 4:6). Christ lives in each rock individually and in the rocks collectively because He placed them together to form His Church— the family of God. But just as in real life when a rock is missing from the cathedral and leaves a gap that exposes the entire building to the outside elements, the Church is weakened by your absence because it was designed to have you fully functioning in the right location. It is strongest when all rocks are present and in their proper place. As each stone matters to the architect building a beautiful cathedral that will stand for centuries, you matter to Jesus as He builds His Church to impact this world until the end of time.
You may think, What does it matter if I don’t stand? The Church will move on without me. While there is truth to that, it is a negative statement that devalues you. Remember that you are so valuable that Christ died for you, and therefore, you matter!
A better question to ask is, “What will happen if each of us stands?” The reality is that the spiritual battle is waged in one heart at a time. If you get up and stand firm and if I do the same and stand with you in agreement, then together we are a living example of Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We need you to stand!
As we are in the family of God together, your victory encourages me. Our shared experiences teach us to live rightly by God’s standards. Our journey through life together brings strength, encouragement, and resiliency. The great spiritual battle is won one person at a time. Not only do you matter to God, but you matter of the entire family of God!
8. You must stand because the people you influence depend on it
Those in your circle of influence need you to stand. Your children, family, and friends are impacted deeply by what happened to you. In fact, people you barely know, like your coworkers and other believers who hear your story are touched by what happened to you. Your ability to stand in righteousness is an outward testimony of your inner relationship with Jesus Christ. If you choose to quit or if you choose to respond in an unrighteous manner, then it reflects badly on Jesus Christ and negatively influences those in your inner circle. But your choice to stand and to follow God’s rules will be a testimony that He can get you through any trial or difficulty.
Too often we hear stories of a married person having an affair just to get back at a spouse who had an adulterous relationship. The children are caught in the middle of this insanity and often are forced to take sides. But who will stand for the children and say, “Follow me as I follow Christ?” (See 1 Corinthians 11:1). Children need their parents to walk righteously, to love unconditionally, to discipline in love, and to set a proper example of how to live. They need the offended parent to show them how to behave in good times but most importantly, in the bad times of life as well. Such an example will provide security for them as children and equip them to deal properly with adversity as adults. The ones in your circle of influence need you to stand!