Still Standing
This is a fight where you will not throw any punches. No kicking or grappling is needed. In fact, no matter what your opponent throws at you, all you need to do is stand.
What sort of fight can you win by simply standing there? When a fighter does not follow the rules they can be disqualified and even banned from future fights. When someone attacks a child of God, they are breaking the rules and will be dealt with accordingly. God reminds me that when someone assaults me on a mental or spiritual level, it is not my fight; He is the One who defends me.
God is still dealing with me concerning anger. He showed me that while it is natural to experience certain feelings, it is not natural to allow those feelings to control me or cause me to lose control. Several things happened to test my self-control and I had to walk away with my anger without retaliating the way I wanted to. This is not necessarily easy to do when someone comes into your space and disrespects you or tries to mar your character.
The Lord showed me it is more important to forgive and recognize that people do ugly things because of what is lacking in their own lives.
Once I recognize that it is not my fight, I can just stand. While they are steady throwing punches or whatever else they can – I stand. When they try to bring up my past or call me out of my name, I stand on my identity in Christ, knowing that I am a new creature and old things have passed away. When they try to spitefully use me or my family I stand knowing that we will not fall prey to these tactics. When they try to bring their misery into my peaceful, happy world, I stand in thankfulness because God has brought me to a better place.
Determine not to let anyone push you off your mark with their attacks. When all is said and done, after you’ve left the battle in God’s hands, you will be the one still standing.
1 Samuel 17:45-48 (New International Version)
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Ephesians 4:25-27 (New International Version)
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26“In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.
1 Timothy 2:8 (Amplified Bible)
8I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands.
It’s sad when people spend so much time in your past that they are neglecting their own future! Even though initially you may want to retaliate, when you stop and think about the person, you really have to feel sorry for them and pray for them. In addition, these type of people have done you a favor! You do not have to wonder where they stand and what they are about! You now know exactly who to stay away from, who to let go, and who will only be allowed to see your rung on the ladder of success…from the bottom!
JRB
JRB, thank you for this awesome word of encouragement!