ON THE VANGUARD

S.T.A.N.D.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
I Corinthians 16:13

Growing up I was in the choir. Yes, I was a choir boy. But I loved it. I loved the singing, the performances, the spot light of the solo, and the blending of many voices. I started in choir in elementary school and continued all the way up to college. I remember the choir teachers, the happy singers, and the countless rehearsals. But one memory I will never forget happened in junior high. It's as if it were yesterday, standing in front of the crowds at Christmas singing Christmas carols to the older people in the retirement home. There I was in my spot giving all my joy to the world when suddenly the room went black. I don't know if you've ever fainted, but this being my first time, I had no idea what was happening. One second you're fine, then the next you're seeing black spots and trying to stand up after coming face to face with the ground. I was helped to my feet and after I regained awareness, told what had happened as I was offered a drink of water.
So what did happen? Outside of the overly warm temperature inside to counter balance the cold temperature outside, I did one thing wrong. Can you guess? If you've ever been in choir you know the answer. I locked my knees. I did what choir teachers tell you to never do. And under the heat and nervousness of the people watching, I fainted. I did not hold my stance.
The Bible talks about standing. In both I Corinthians 15:58 and 16:13, Paul warns us to stand firm. In the same book, Paul tells us to stand under God's way out when we are tempted (10:13). Gideon was told to have his troops stand firm and God would smite the enemies without the soldiers making a move (Jud 7:21). Paul again tells us that when we have done all we can, we stand (Eph 6:13). But what does standing mean? A simple definition is our 'established position'. I have my own definition: Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated. Look at these verses with me using this as our definition.
"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, be Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated." Eph 6:13.
"Be on your guard; be Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated in the faith; be men of courage; be strong" I Cor 16:13.
If I had held the position in choir of standing, but not locking my knees, I would not have fainted. But because I did not stand correctly, I fell. So that is the challenge. How are you standing? Are you wobbly, close to fainting, propped up against the wall, or relying on crutches? If so, I urge you to stand on the solid rock. Are you Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated? There is only one way to get there. Let us all STAND on Christ.