Do you know the right thing to do; yet, feel pressured to follow the crowd? Do people ask you to go against the grain to follow them? Sometimes the pressures of others can seem overwhelming. However, we stand strong when we know where our strength comes from and what we believe. Therefore, we can stand our ground.
The Story: Numbers 23
In Numbers 23, Balaam was a prophet, whose presence was requested by Balak. The reason for the request was for Balaam to seek God and curse Israel. Balaam advised that He would go before God and tell Balak everything God said. After some time away, Balaam returned with blessings for Israel. As a result, Balak became angry because he didn’t ask Balaam to bless Israel. Nevertheless, Balaam reminded Balak that he would only say what God spoke.
Therefore, Balak took Balaam to another area to seek God about cursing Israel. Again, Balaam returned with a blessing for the people. Balak was again enraged and advised that Balaam shouldn’t bless or curse them. However, Balaam informed him that he must speak what God says.
The Lesson
Like Balaam, we will come face-to-face with someone who wants us to side with them. They desire to go against others for their own purpose. While we may not encounter public scandals or corporate upheavals, we will face the gossip squad. Do we side with the masses or stand for truth?
How do we stand? First, we know whose side we’re on. The side of truth is God’s side. This means that we verify everything through truth. Sometimes, we’re not even on the side of right. Our thinking is off and our desires are in charge. In this state, we function from a position of dishonesty whereby we manipulate circumstances for our benefit. Yet when we stay on the side of God and truth, we can adjust the errors on our side and successfully stand our ground.
Second, we know what we believe. Our belief systems guide our actions. If we come from a place of truth, our beliefs align accordingly. Therefore, we refuse to partner with anything or anyone that contradicts the system. Then, we remain resolute and stand our ground.
“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand.” ~Ephesians 6:13
