Reasons 9-10
Taken from Dr. Mark Flattery’s book:
Stand Firm: What to do When Life Knocks You Down
9. You must stand because you can then help others when they are knocked down
It is interesting that when life knocks you down you are tempted to believe that you are the only one enduring this humiliation. This is an untruth, a lie. There have been hundreds of books written about your situation because there were thousands, if not millions, of people who
have endured your exact defeat. You are not the first to get knocked down and you certainly will not be the last one! But if you find your will to stand and stand righteously, you will be equipped to speak with authority into the lives of others who get knocked down by life. Your story can be that although you were lost in the chaos of despair, you let Jesus re-create your life, and now you can lead others to the Answer that they need so desperately.
In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–11). Right now, you may feel crushed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and even forsaken. But Paul is teaching you that even though you feel this way, since Jesus stands with you, then you are not crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed. You may be thinking, That’s fine, but has Paul endured my suffering?
Right now, you may feel crushed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and even forsaken. But Paul is teaching you that even though you feel this way, since Jesus stands with you, then you are not crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed.
I believe that Paul understood your situation and is imminently qualified to address it because he was a man accustomed to pain and suffering. Turn to 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 and you will see a list of Paul’s sufferings; flogged severely, exposed to death frequently, five times he was beaten within an inch of his life, three times beaten by rods, stoned, three times shipwrecked, sleep deprived, exposed to the elements, experiencing hunger and thirst, and the list goes on. “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (verse 29). In other words, Paul can relate to your defeat! Like you, Paul was knocked down by life. But look at how he responded! He wrote that in our moments of weakness, Christ Jesus will be our strength and that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul then stated, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
So Paul knows about that which he speaks when he wrote that when he was knocked down, he was not knocked out because Christ is his strength. This can be your story, too! The life of Jesus will be revealed in your testimony if you are willing to stand and help those who follow in your footsteps.
When you stand to declare, “I love the Lord more than life itself,” you are stating that in spite of what happened to you and in spite of your current limited view of your situation, you trust in the Lord that He will take care of you.
What happened to you is tragic. But a greater tragedy will be if you do not stand and allow your experience to benefit others. While our situations may be different, we serve the same God who will help us to stand. So stand and let your words be to those who follow you and those you influence: “It is what it is, but God who helped me, will help you!”
10. You must stand because it glorifies Jesus Christ
I pray that by now you made the decision to get off the canvas and stand firm to fight another day. Hopefully, you do not need another reason, but if you do then we must consider the best reason: to glorify Jesus Christ. When you stand with Jesus you allow your faith in God to define you instead of being characterized by your accomplishments, possessions, reputation, or even your defeats. This glorifies the Lord. When you stand to declare, “I love the Lord more than life itself,” you are stating that in spite of what happened to you and in spite of your current limited view of your situation, you trust in the Lord that He will take care of you. This glorifies the Lord.
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk wrote it this way, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18). Though everything is taken from you and you are left seemingly with nothing, yet you can rejoice in the Lord. This attitude glorifies Jesus.
I imagine that you are asking, “This sounds good, but how do I do it?” I understand that you have been knocked off balance. No one expects you to be doing the Dance of Joy after getting punched in the mouth by life. So I recommend that you memorize Habakkuk 3:17–18, and make it a daily declaration, offering as much rejoicing and joy in the Lord that you can muster. Today, this may be only a statement, but as you build on it, you will soon develop that statement into an attitude and then that attitude into a lifestyle.
The Lord’s disciples were trapped in a similar dilemma when His teaching was so perplexing and even counter-intuitive to their understanding that the crowds were turning away. The disciples were just as confused by the teaching as the crowds were, and yet they loved Jesus. Jesus asked them, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67). This was a defining moment in the disciples’ lives. Peter answered in a manner similar to Habakkuk when he declared, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68–69).
You may still be struggling with the reality that you have been knocked down. This is the exact time to get off the canvas and stand! I encourage you to take your focus off your weaknesses and turn your eyes to Jesus, the One who is the very definition of love and truth. Jesus has the words of eternal life. He is your Answer right now. When you stand with Him, you will glorify Him!