Stand Alone

Are you hesitant to stand alone – to risk being unpopular, rejected, or mocked? Do you hold back with what you’re writing to try and make it “fit” with what you think is acceptable?

A while back, Don and I attended an excellent conference at The Cove with my parents. The speaker, Pastor Jim Henry, was teaching on Joshua – conference title “From Fear to Faith”. Pastor Jim gave us many nuggets of wisdom to take home. He shared about the different tests Joshua passed on his way to being one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament.

My favorite one: Can you stand alone?

Joshua came back excited about the promised land; 10 out of 12 said, “No, we can’t do this.” Then Joshua led the people in the “battle” of Jericho with a totally illogical battle plan.

He followed God, not popular opinion. He feared God, not man.

The Lord then showed me how easily I followed the crowd instead of my own heart. He showed me how fear of man held me down.

A wonderfully talented worship leader, Joe Horness, led worship for the conference. Through his music and his testimonies, the presence of God filled the room. During one upbeat song, I felt the urge to clap rise up in my soul. I thought, “OK, I’ll be the first one to start,” with the implication that others would follow as they usually do.

Well, they didn’t.

After a few loud claps, I sucked in my breath and hesitated…and quieted my clapping to a barely audible hand pat. My thoughts panicked – “WhatwilltheythinkAmIdisturbinganyoneMaybethisisn’ttheplacetoclap”.

Then the Lord nudged my spirit. Wait. I want to clap. I enjoy clapping. For me, right now, this song, it is part of my worship to God.

So it doesn’t matter if anyone claps, or sings, or even worships. *I* can clap, even if no one else follows.

I can stand alone.

At that moment, I made a decision. I clapped, and sang, and worshipped the Lord freely from my heart. Something changed. No, *I* changed. The Lord changed me. With one simple act of obedience to freely worship Him and not fear man, He broke off something, filled me up, and healed my heart.

Yes, clapping to a song in a room full of fellow believers may be a very small thing. But hey, it’s a start! Some days are better than others as I try to walk forward with more boldness, and as I learn to live more fully in each moment. I want to live in fear of God, not fear of man; and that’s SO hard sometimes. By God’s grace I am making progress.

I’m also learning to trust God to speak to and through me as I write and share with others. As me – not as anyone else, or with anyone else’s style, but from the heart as God gives me the words. No matter who disagrees, who criticizes, or even who likes what I say – I can’t be driven by positive feedback either. I want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant!” from my Father, and I can only hear that if I am living to please Him and not everyone else…including myself!

Where do you have trouble standing alone? Take courage, and look up at the Lord instead of others, and then be amazed at what He can do with your simple act of obedience.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him.

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Blogs: Life Is Not A Formula at www.marygscro.com