Author: Dr. Mark D. Flattery 

Chapter Two

Ten Reasons to Stand

 

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” (John 5:6).

 

As Champ sat on the canvass trying to coax his brain into reconnecting with his skull, I stood to get a closer look to see if he would get up. The true test of a boxer is not the astonishing kilogram per square millimeter of instantaneous force he can create with his signature right hook but rather, can he take a punch? Does the Champ really want to get up and face another pounding? I wondered what it would take for him to rise and face again his seemingly undefeatable foe.

If it were me who had my face crushed I would be sure to take an immediate inventory of my motivation for being in the ring and even the merits of throwing in the towel. What would cause Champ to get up? The money cannot be enough to compensate the physical torture. Does he love the sport so much that he is willing to get beaten decisively? Maybe he is a complete idiot who loves pain and is oblivious to the impact it will have on his body later in life. Whatever his motivation, if Champ wanted to win this match and continue his boxing career, then he must get up.

Certainly, the response of the few witnesses of the event that night was not encouraging the battered combatant to reenter the fight. Two of them whistled loudly to express their displeasure. The man closest to me, the one with the betel nut stained teeth, threw banana peelings into the ring and screamed. The young boys ran ringside and laughed sardonically at the Champ.

If I were a betting man, and I am not, I would say that there was no chance whatsoever of Champ getting up. As his blood and sweat poured profusely from his face to his neck, it seemed that he had no more fight left in him. The next few seconds would reveal his character and determine his future.

 

I have always thought that the true test of a man’s character is not how he revels in victory but how he responds in the face of crushing defeat. Anyone can have a strong sense of self worth when surrounding by adoring friends in the mountain top experiences of life. But, when you get pounding into the canvass of life and are now trying to regain your senses, you are at the crossroads of your life. How desperately do you want to get up? What is your true reason for living? What are your hopes and dreams now and are you willing to get up and fight for them again?

The Gospel of John records the story of an encounter at the pool of Bethesda between Jesus and a man who was physically challenged for thirty-eight years. The man, whose name is never provided, was one of a “great number” of those who were knocked down by life with challenges such as “the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.” Jesus understood immediately that he battled his physical challenges for quiet a long time. He then asked him an interesting question: “Do you want to get well?”

We should stop and consider this question. “Do you want to get well?” It seems obvious that the man was in a hopeless state and that he would give everything he had to be healed. And yet, there are people who have been lying on the canvass of life so far beyond the ten count that the knock down punch became the knock out punch. They identify now so closely with the tragedy in their lives that they have a new and, well we can use the word “warped,” sense of normalcy. The knock out punch defines them now. Their life starts with life’s blow and everything else is viewed in retrospect from the mental movies of that fateful moment.

Right now you are hurting. You are hurting from the life blow that either came from someone your trusted or it involved someone that you do love. Your pain is legitimate and should not be trivialized or marginalized in any way. You are on the canvass of life because

someone, or something, hurt you deeply. I understand your pain. But, the question then becomes, “Do you want to get well?”

If you stay down then your allow your offender to bring pain to your life daily and even beyond as the moment will have a rippled effect on all those in your sphere of influence. For example, we hear stories of a parent who lost a child to a disease to then express such rage and bitterness towards God so much that it poisoned the children who lived and debilitated their personal relationship with Him.

Do you really want the tragedy to define you and to rob you of the life that God created you to live? If you want to be healed then you must do what Jesus told the man in John 5 to do: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8). The man turned to Jesus, received instruction from Jesus, and was obedient to do what Jesus told him to do. And look at what happened: “At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked” (John 5:9).

This man’s story can be your testimony. But, you must be willing to stand. Let us consider ten reasons why you can, and should, stand. These reasons are not listed in any particular order. So, here they are …

 

Ten Reasons to Stand after Life Knocked You Down

#1 You must stand because your life depends on it.

We discussed this already but it needs to be addressed again. Whatever happened to you was horrible. It may have been undeserved completely and it was wrong. But, even if the offense was your fault you cannot allow yourself to wallow in self-pity or to stay down. If you stay down then it is over; you are defeated. The one who knocked you down wins because you were knocked out. This will define you for the rest of your life.

You must get up and live another day. If you are willing to be healed then God will provide the means to overcome the defeat, to learn from the defeat, and use the defeat as fuel to live a meaningful and fulfilling life. God’s impact in your life is so powerful that there is a guarantee. The guarantee is that if you submit your heart and will to Jesus in this dark hour that you will grow closer in your relationship with Him and you will be amazed how He will turn what was meant for evil into good. The road to a thriving life begins with “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” You must stand because your life depends on it!

 

#2 You must stand because the people you influence depend on it.

Those in your circle of influence need you stand. You have children, family, and friends who are impacted deeply by what happened to you. In fact, people you barely know, like your coworkers and other believers, who hear your story are touched by what happened to you. Your ability to stand in righteousness is an outward testimony of your inner relationship with Jesus Christ. If you choose to quit or if you choose to respond in an unrighteous manner then it reflects badly on Jesus Christ and influences negatively those in your inner circle. But, your choice to stand and to play by God’s rules will be a testimony stating that He can get you through any trial or difficulty.

Too often we hear stories of a married person having an affair to get back at a spouse who was in an adulterous relationship. The children are caught in the middle of this insanity and often are forced to take sides. But, who will stand for the children and say, “Follow me as I follow Christ”? Children need their parents to walk righteously, to love unconditionally, to discipline in love, and to set a proper example of how to life. They need the offended parent to show them how to behave in good times but, most importantly, in the bad times of life. Such an

example will provide security for them as children and equip them to deal properly with adversity as adults. The ones in your circle of influence need you to stand!

 

#3 You must stand because the spiritual battle depends on it.

There is a great spiritual battle being fought through the ages for the hearts and destinies of humanity. The enemy wants you to believe that what you do impacts you alone and that no one cares. This is an outright lie. Jesus Christ knew your thoughts before you think them and knew you even before you were born. He died for your sins so that you can be in right relationship with the Father. He died and rose again for you. You matter!

You matter to God and your life is placed in context to the family of God. Jesus told Peter that he was a rock and that upon that rock He will build His church. Peter later wrote that we are each living stones, or rocks. Christ lives in each rock individually and in the rocks collectively when they are placed together to form His Church; the family of God. It is as if each rock radiates light from the love of Christ. When you see the lights from a distance it makes one bright and glaring light. However, as you get closer to the lights you realize that not all the lights are shining brightly. Some are barely lit while some are out altogether. Each light must shine brightly for the Church to function properly and to give God glory to the fullest. While it is true that the Light will shine even if a few of the rocks are not radiating, the fact is that when the lights are each shining brightly then the Light has maximum impact.

You may think, “What does it matter if I don’t stand? The Church will move on without me.” While there is truth to that, it is a negative statement that devalues you. Remember that you are so valuable that Christ died for you and therefore, you matter!

The right question to ask is, “What will happen if each of us stands?” In reality the spiritual battle is waged in one heart at a time. If you get up and stand firm and if I do the same

and stand with you in agreement then together we are a living example of Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” We need you to stand!

 

#4 You must stand because this you are equipped by God to stand.

I remember the first time I jumped off the high dive at the local swimming pool. I was about nine or ten years old at the time. I was deathly afraid of heights and was not at all a strong swimmer. However, I let the taunts of my brother’s friend get me on the high dive in the most death defying act of my life up to that point. I was scared as I climbed the ladder to the diving board. I was speechless as I surveyed the view from such epic heights. I remember praying and asking the Lord that if he would forgive me for my stupidity and allow me to survive that I would never, ever do something that crazy again. I did find the courage to jump. It seemed like a fraction of a second until I hit the water and plunged into the deep end. I was surprised that I almost touched the bottom of the pool. I was prepared for this adventure at this juncture. But, I was utterly unprepared for the eternity it took for my body to make it back to the surface. I could not breathe! I knew enough to keep my mouth closed for if I opened it I would swallow water and drown. My body would remain then in the bottom and it would not be found until they drained the pool at the end of the summer. So, I kicked my arms and legs and fought for my life! I struggled and finally cut through the surface gasping for air.

Your knock down punch left you feeling isolated and alone. You feel as if you are the only one to endure such punishment at this moment. You had plans, dreams, visions, and ambitions which were all built on the premise that you will succeed! But, that came to a crashing halt and you are wondering if you will ever be the same again. Like my diving story,

you feel that you were submerged forcibly and seeking desperately for the day when you can reach the surface and just breathe again.

You probably do not realize it but God has equipped you to breathe again and stand in spite of your circumstances. The first part of I Corinthians 10:13 teaches us that, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” Your spiritual battle is not fought outside of God’s view. He sees what has happened to you. He knows your mental and physical battle. He knows what your future will be! While you feel as if you are the only one enduring your difficulties the truth is that you are not the first one to encounter this battle and you will not be the last one either. God is protecting you and will not allow you to drown in a sea of despair. His protection keeps you from being overrun by sin and His Word will be your strength to overcome this current trial. If you will be faithful to God then He will be faithful to you and thus, you will find His strength to get up and stand again.

God’s promise to Joshua applies to you in this very moment. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5b). God will never leave you nor forsake you! You are equipped to stand again if you will align yourself with God because His presence in your life is a guarantee; you can bet your life on it! You are equipped to stand!

 

#5 You must stand to defeat your enemy because Jesus has provided the way.

The completion of I Corinthians 10:13 provides hope; “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” God provided you a way out of your nightmare! There is hope that your circumstances will change. There is hope that this season of suffering will end and that you will dream and soar once again. But, the foundation of

your future is not built on your abilities to stand again and to fight. In fact, the secret of your success will be not to summon your inner strength but to release the entirety of your being to Jesus Christ and to play by His rules. The exit sign from your predicament leads you to Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-30 records a teaching by Jesus that speaks clearly to you right now. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

You are weary and burdened by the battle. You can find rest in Jesus. He is the Master Teacher who loves you so much that He died for your sins. If you submit your heart and your will to Him and if you are obey Him then you will find the way out of your trial and you will find rest. If you are willing to live your life by following Jesus completely then you will be able to stand again because He will be your strength and He will fight your battles for you. Jesus provided you the way to stand!

 

#6 You must stand because God will make something good from it.

More than likely you cannot see how anything good can come from your present adversity. Humanly speaking, that thought is correct absolutely. But, you are not limited to responding humanly for you have Divinity as your friend. I encourage you to take your eyes off your problem and the subsequent depressing view of life and instead focus on the Answer and the resulting hope that waits for you. God will make something good from your pain if only you will let Him.

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is your promise today; “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is on your side and will turn all things for your good. It is an easy

task for God to turn all the joys and abundance of life into your good because those items are already packaged as blessings. While we are thankful for all the blessings given to us, and we count them as gifts from God, you can know that He will take the worst situations of life and turn them to your good. He can take your horrible, rotten, disgusting situation and find Good.

Does this mean that you will get your job back? Will your spouse repent and come home? Will you be freed from disease and be healed? Well, these events can happen and certainly we would consider that as “good.” But, if our desired outcomes are not met then that does not mean that God is absent, uncaring, or uninvolved. Sometimes, we must have faith to walk with the Lord, to allow Him to break us of our stubbornness and self-reliance, and to allow Him to re-create us in His image. What this means is if you turn to the Lord then the Good that you receive starts with His powerful presence in your heart and continues as he molds you into the person of God that He desires you to be.

You may not be able to see what good will come from this trial. But, you can stand in faith know that God will fight for you and bring good. Your reason for doing so lies solely in the fact that you are standing on the promise found in God’s Word. You may not see the Good, you may not feel it in your heart, and you many not experience it yet, but the Good will come if you continue to love the Lord and fulfill His calling on our life. You must stand because God is not finished with you yet and He will make something good!

 

#7 You must stand because when you do you will be stronger for it.

When life knocked you down you had your pride hurt. You were humiliated. You were defeated. Maybe you thought, “This isn’t supposed to happen to me!” or “Everything I touch is supposed to turn to gold!” or “I don’t deserve this!” But, you were hit and you were knocked down. That is the fact. But, if you do get back to your feet and stand with Jesus then you will

discover that you will be stronger for the experience. As much as we distain adversity we cannot discover who we truly are without a test or a trial.

You will be stronger spiritually if you align your priorities and values with Jesus during this season as the Lord will take then what was meant for evil and turn it to good. If you do so you will discover what matters most. The most important parts of life are not money, status, or glory but they are loving God and loving others. Your love for God is expressed by your unrelenting trust and wholeheartedly commitment to Him during the most difficult of times. Your love for others is expressed as you continue to love in spite of your surroundings and in a manner that leads others closer in their walk with the Lord.

Each time you stand after being injured then becomes a foundational experience that builds you to be a better person. You will become better from the experience if you learn the lessons that you were supposed to learn and make the necessary changes. Each experience can be a monument in your heart to how life was bad but God was good and He led you through to a season of victory.

One day, hopefully soon, your present season of grief will end and you will be stronger because you turned yourself over to Jesus and allowed Him to weather the storm. You will then be prepared the next time life tries to knock you down because you can remember the victory of the past. Your personal history will then fuel you with encouragement to act rightly in your next battle because God who was faithful in the past is faithful today and He will be faithful tomorrow. You must stand because you will be stronger as a result!

 

#8. You must stand because the pain from the defeat will lessen eventually and a new season will come if you stand.

You may feel like you are stuck in a rut and that all the energy you are expending amounts to nothing more that spinning your wheels and digging you deeper into your entrapment. Or maybe you feel like Sisyphus whose punishment was to roll a huge rock up a steep hill only to have it roll back before reaching the summit. He had to then try again and again and was thus doomed to a life of never ending frustration. Will this misery ever end?

What is most debilitating in your current situation is that you lost hope that your life will ever be pain free. You may have exhausted your abilities to change your context and now see no way out. You are stuck in a nightmare with no hope. But, as one who experienced life knock downs, I will ask you to do something that a friend asked me to do when I was at the lowest of my lowest point: Remember that this season will pass.

You may not believe me now but if you turn your mind and heart to Jesus and follow Him completely then you will discover that He will turn the page in your present drama and take you to a new life chapter. In John 10:10 we read that Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” If you follow the Lord now, then He will get out of the rut and back on the road again.

I encourage you to be patient and remember that the Lord is moving on your behalf even though you may not see tangible evidence. We call that “faith.” Hebrews 11:1 provides a definition of faith: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” If you will ask God for the strength to stand and live fully again then you must be certain that this season of turmoil will pass and that you will live to see a new day.

One of my favorite episodes in the book of Acts is the account of Paul and Silas in Acts 16. They walked fully in the Lord’s will as they ministered in Philippi. Paul commanded a demon to leave a slave girl and that resulted in he and Silas being seized, humiliated in the market place, threatened, stripped, beaten, severely flogged, and thrown into prison. If anyone

had the right to be depressed and to give up on life it was Paul and Silas at that moment! Even though they had no hope, humanly speaking, we read that “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). But, they were not held captive by human limitations for they knew that this incident was not the final chapter of their lives. They had faith that God was greater than their trials and that someway and somehow He will bring change.

“Suddenly” (Acts 16:26) an earthquake hit, the chains broke open, and Paul and Silas were freed! These traumatic events led to the salvation of the jailer and his household. Paul and Silas knew that God was working behind the scenes to fulfill His plan and that He would turn what was meant for evil into good and that was the salvation of many lives. In a similar way, this can be your story, too! I encourage you to stand because the pain of your defeat will pass and you will experience a new season!

 

#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. I might be exaggerating here but there are thousands of books written already about your situation because there were thousands, if not millions, of people who endured your exact defeat. You are not the first to get knocked down and certainly you will not be the last one either! But, if you find your will to stand, and to stand righteously, then you will be equipped to speak with authority into the lives of others who get knocked down by life. 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.

Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Corinth, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may

also be revealed in our body” (II Corinthians 4:8-11). Right now you may feel hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and stuck down. Paul is teaching you that even though you are indeed that 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?”

I believe that Paul understands your situation and is imminently qualified to present his teaching as he was a man accustomed to pain and suffering. Turn to II Corinthians 11:23-29 and you will see a list of Paul’s suffering; 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, hunger, thirst and the list goes on. “Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” In other words, Paul can relate to your defeat! Like you, Paul was knocked down by life. But, look at how Paul responded! He wrote that in our moments of weakness that Christ Jesus will be our strength and that Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul then stated, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10).

So, Paul knows about which he speaks when he writes that he may be knocked down but 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. 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. Stand, and let your words be, “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 canvass so as to stand firm and 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, and reputation. 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.

Habakkuk wrote it this way in Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pan and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Though everything is taken from you and you are left seemingly with nothing, yet you will rejoice in the Lord. This attitude glories 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 at this moment. No one expects you to be doing the Dance of Joy after getting hit in the mouth by life. But, I recommend that you make this declaration daily and offer as much rejoicing and joy in the Lord that you can muster. Today, that may be only a statement but as you build on this 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 Jesus’ 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 and yet they loved Jesus. Jesus asked them, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (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. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

You are still struggling with the reality that you have been knocked down. But, it is now time to get off the canvass 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. Jesus is your Answer right now. When you stand with Jesus you will glorify Him!

“Do you want to get well?” I believe that you do or you would have put down this book long ago. The action plan you need to stand firm again is found in God’s Word. We will start by considering your battle from a defensive perspective, “what happened?”, so that you will not get pummeled again. Then, we will engage an offensive tactic that may surprise you. It may not be the strategy that you would engage naturally but it is proven to be powerfully effective and is battle tested throughout history.

 

 

For You to Consider

 

1. Do you want to get well or do you want to continue to stay on the canvass of life?

2. Choose three of the reasons “why you must stand” that resonated with you. Explain to me why they made an impression on you and what will be your response to each one.

3. List at least three reasons to rejoice or be thankful. Even in your current predicament, you must count your blessings.

 

Scripture for You to Pray Today: Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

What is the Lord saying to you right now?