The Discipline Of Standing Up
If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.
Thomas J. Watson
I’ve been writing about discipline for the past few weeks. Why would I spend so much time focusing on disciple?
The theme of my blog is stretch. I write about things that are stretching me. I reflect on life’s stretch marks. And I hope my reflections will help others to stretch as well.
Do I have these disciplines down? By no means. In fact, these are disciplines I am challenged to work on myself. These are disciplines that cause me to stretch.
I want to keep stretching; therefore, I ponder the areas I need to cultivate in order to make the most of my life of stretch.
Over the weekend, I saw the movie Selma. I hadn’t heard a lot about the story before I watched the movie, but I was told this was a movie I needed to see. The movie portrays part of the journey of Dr. Martin Luther King and his pursuit of civil rights for African-Americans particularly the right to vote in the deep south – in towns like Selma, Alabama. Selma’s population was nearly half black, but most of this population was restricted from voting. In their efforts to stand up to this injustice, blacks were repeatedly knocked down by a white-controlled government and law enforcement.
Martin Luther King was committed to standing up against this injustice in a non-violent manner. He risked ridicule, harm to his family, and harm to his personal safety. And yet, he persisted. He stood up when “enough was enough.”
Standing up for what you believe in is easy when everyone else is on board, but it’s not so easy when you risk going against the grain of culture.
I want to fit in. I don’t want to rock the boat. I don’t want to risk disruption to my “happy” world.
It’s time to institute another discipline. We must learn to practice the discipline of standing up. We must learn to stand up when “enough is enough.”
God has given you and me a voice – a voice to stand up and speak out for things that matter.
Are you content to go along with the status quo? Or is it time for you to stand up, to speak up, and to make a difference?
These are questions we all must ponder. I don’t want to reach the end of my life and wonder if I could have done more to stand up for my beliefs. I want to know for certain that I took a stand and I rallied others for a cause that matters.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
How would your world be different if you made the decision to practice the discipline of standing up? How has standing up made a difference in your life? What causes you to stand up?