Stand part 2
The important part, to me, is what you stand FOR. Like in the verse Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." Train up a child in the way he SHOULD go. We seem like we end up focusing too much and too often on the negatives. Like we need an enemy to fight. And I'm not sitting here saying we should be ok with everything. We shouldn't. That's why we have a conscience. That's why we have gut feelings about things. If something bothers you... chances are it should. But instead of focusing on the problem, we need to focus on the solution. Instead of focusing on what's wrong we need to work towards what's right. Instead of always being against things... we need to be for things. You got to stand FOR something, or you'll fall for anything. I don't like... whatever it is. But instead of focusing on that, focus on what will help with that. I'm against racism. Good. Now, instead of attacking... be FOR love. And unity. And peace. And it's really just a mindset. Are you always fighting against everything? Or are you letting what's inside come out? Look at Romans 12:21, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." It's the idea of an eye for an eye leaving everybody blind. It's the idea of helping or hurting. And, listen, I understand getting mad. I understand feeling helpless, or powerless. I understand frustration. There are situations in my life where I feel like there's nothing I can do. And in those situations--in all situations, as much as I possibly can--I default back to what I CAN do. I stand on the Rock that is Jesus. I stand FOR love. I give what I've got. I do what I CAN do. And then, even if it doesn't resolve the situation in the manner or the speed that I think it should be resolved in... at least I know I did what I could do. If you don't know what to do, do what you know. Love. Focus on what you have. Focus on what you CAN do. Focus on the good. The light. The things that WILL make a difference... for the better. Escalating things, or fighting fire with fire, will just burn more things down. Sometimes you do more damage--to yourself and everybody else--by holding on too tight. Things don't always have to go your way. And, realistically, they aren't going to. Life is life. It doesn't fit into anybody's box. Now, having said that, you can get through whatever you have to go through. And you can do it because of the One--God, Jesus, love--that is carrying you through it. You're never alone. God lives in you. LOVE lives in you. So no matter what, you always have that love to fall back on. When you don't know what to do... do what you know. Let what's inside come out--by knowing and believing that the love is God is what's really in there. It can be hard. It can be frustrating. It can feel like you're banging your head against the wall and coming away from things with nothing but a headache. But you can stand. You can love. You can make things better by letting the love inside come out!