Articles
Standing Alone
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"Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." (Jn. 16:32)
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. (2 Tim. 4:16)
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When Jesus went to the cross, He went alone, abandoned by friends whose loyalty proved fickle. The collapse of His ministry was so complete, His enemies gleefully celebrated His downfall.
When Paul stood before Caesar at his first hearing, no friend stood beside him. His brilliant career as an apologist for Christ came to a humiliating end by a Roman sword.
Neither man was executed for crimes committed against society, but for speaking truth to power. They challenged the prevailing worldview of their day, confident that a Higher Power was working behind the scenes to effect an outcome no one could fathom. But that conviction, and their willingness to openly defend it, cost them everything--including the company of friends who did not share their courage.
Jesus and Paul were not the first to face their moment of destiny alone. David confronted Goliath despite discouragement from all his family and friends. The three young Hebrews who refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar's image had no one to encourage them. They took their stand knowing that a gruesome fate likely awaited them. The isolation almost destroyed Elijah; "I alone am left" is the cry of a man who is tired of carrying the burden by himself.
There is no inherent virtue in being a lone wolf. Sometimes the loner really is just a kook. But if we are serious about our faith and are engaged in a serious effort to understand and carry out God's will in our lives, we must be prepared to go it alone on occasion.
In our own nation, we are rapidly approaching a point where those who have convictions regarding truth and righteousness will pay a steep price for standing up for those convictions: Social ostracism . . . loss of employment . . . financial penalties . . . maybe even criminal sanctions. The easy thing to do will be to keep quiet. Don't rock the boat. Go along to get along. Cower in fear. By doing so, we will preserve our standard of living--but at what cost to our integrity?
Like Jesus, the hour is coming when each one of us must make a decision: Will I meekly yield to the forces of darkness that are sweeping everything in their path? Or will I stand up--alone if necessary--for the truth of the God whom I serve?
A great cloud of witnesses is looking down from heaven, waiting to see our response. Do not disappoint them.
--David
