My friend, may I ask you a question? It’s easy to be bold when you have an army behind you. But is It far more difficult to retain your courage when circumstances find you standing all alone? Can doing the right thing when no one else can see the wrong is one of the loneliest feelings in the world?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I’m M. Clifford Brunner.
It’s easy to be bold when you have an army behind you. It is far more difficult to retain your courage when circumstances find you standing all alone. Doing the right thing when no one else can see the wrong is one of the loneliest feelings in the world. Standing alone is foreign to who we are. We are a social people. God created us to be with one another. Therefore, standing alone, however noble, is not an innate part of our make-up. Nonetheless, there comes a time in every Christian’s life when, led by conviction, we are compelled to stand apart even from those who may be our friends; perhaps even from those we love.
Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games. It was the Braves versus the Reds in Cincinnati. But the great Ruth was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out and headed toward the dugout, a crescendo of yelling and booing reached his ears. Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate for one second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet, patting his head gently. The noise from the stands came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly there was no more booing. In fact, hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the fans saw two heroes: Ruth, who in spite of his dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy; and the small lad, who cared about the feelings of another human being. Both had melted the hearts of the crowd. (Ted W. Engstrom, The Pursuit of Excellence, 1982, Zondervan Corporation, pp. 66-67.)
However lonely we might be, however isolated and rejected we may find our situation, there comes a time when we need to reach deep down inside for the courage that faith instills in the heart of every Christian. Facing a hostile crowd, a crowd that may be full of ridicule, even hatred, because of something we believe can be a daunting experience. Hesitating, however for a moment, can prove fatal. The opportunity to overcome our fears is often a fleeting one. When God gives us the cue to stand boldly, even stand alone, we need to be ready to find our marks and see the drama out. There is great power in a Christian who is willing to stand boldly even when facing what might seem like imminent defeat. It may be a lonely duty but obedience in the face of ridicule has its rewards. God is applauding even when no one else is.
We pray. Heavenly Father. However lonely we might be, however isolated and rejected we may find our situation, there comes a time when we need to reach deep inside for the courage that faith instills in the heart of every Christian. Facing a hostile crowd, a crowd that may be full of ridicule, even hatred, because of something we believe can be a daunting experience. Hesitating, however for a moment, can prove fatal. Forgive us when we do. The opportunity to overcome our fears is often a fleeting one. When You give us the cue to stand boldly, even stand alone, we need to be ready to find our marks and see the drama out. There is great power in a Christian who is willing to stand boldly even when facing what might seem like imminent defeat. It may be a lonely duty but obedience in the face of ridicule has its rewards. You are applauding even when no one else is. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.