“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:9(NIV).
I desire to stand firm and unshakable in my faith, but to be honest, sometimes it’s challenging to do. One of the stumbling blocks I have experienced that affects my ability to stand firm is comparing my calling with others. Sometimes, what other people are doing looks much more glamorous or applauded. I have longed for other people’s abilities or gifts, making standing firm in my calling difficult.
Sometimes, I long for the approval of others – I want them to affirm what God is asking me to do, but that is not a realistic expectation to put on others. This longing for approval has caused loneliness in walking out my call and standing firm in my faith.
Other times, the natural circumstances around me look opposite to what God has spoken, which has shaken my faith. I begin to doubt the victories God has promised me because what I see in the natural is brokenness. Taking my eyes off God and what He has promised can rock my foundation, and I feel anything but “standing firm.
But God’s Word speaks powerful truths about standing strong in our human weaknesses. We must resist the devil, and for me, that begins with my thoughts. When I start down the path of comparing, doubting, and fear, it first manifests in my thinking. However, I have other choices. I can choose to dismiss thoughts that are not from God and instead focus on His truths. I can praise God for my calling and purpose and His work in my heart and life. I can go back to the Word to remind me of His promises. I can declare them out loud and ask God to show me ways that He is working. I can accept with humility that His timing is perfect, and so are His plans for me. I can remember that I will stand alone before God one day, so I must also be comfortable standing alone, at times, in my walk with Christ here on earth.
I can walk through trials knowing that other people in the family of believers have endured trials, and I am comforted, not in the fact that others have suffered or are suffering, but rather that I don’t suffer alone. God has sustained and continues to sustain them, and He will sustain me, too, as He will for you if you ask Him.
Lastly, I can stand firmly planted in faith when I encounter something that I know only God can restore. He will be the Lifter of my head, the Comforter of my soul and the Healer of my broken heart. I need a community of believers around me, but there is nowhere else I can go to receive and enjoy that same level of intimacy that Jesus offers me daily. He holds me steady in the middle of a crisis or disappointment. He can shield me from the enemy and protect my mind and heart. There is no way to stand firm in our faith in the Christian Walk without God’s amazing grace.
We have a promise to hold onto – through His grace and power; God will plant us securely on a firm foundation where we will be protected and restored. This promise has brought me hope and helped me to stand firm. I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God! 1 Peter 5:10 encourages us with these words, “So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you, and will place you on a firm foundation.”
God- You are our only solid rock, our firm foundation, no matter what each day brings. Help us to stand firm in our faith, to resist the enemy and take refuge in You. We believe in your promise to restore, support and strengthen us so that we will have a firm foundation on which to stand. Thank you for your loving kindness and faithfulness towards us. Amen!
