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Roberta kneels so that she is at eye-level with Guadalupe. She reassures her student by saying, “Well, standing strong doesn’t mean just using your legs. You can stand strong on the inside. You know what I mean?”
Stand Strong
By Alexis Goring
Why are we so afraid to “stand out”?
This is a question I believe both Christians and nonbelievers wrestle with at some point in their lives.
We live in a world in which we’re constantly bombarded with both good and bad messages. Unfortunately, sometimes we allow these messages to affect us negatively, thus altering how we see the world and each other in harmful ways.
Something to say (my thoughts on the benefits of standing out):
The DOVE Campaign for Real Beauty is an innovative venture for challenging the status quo when it comes to the unachievable (airbrushed) beauty so often promoted in our society. I applaud the campaign’s effort to challenge people to think outside the box when it comes to recognizing and redefining real beauty.
Gone are the days of having to be rail-thin if you want to be a model. Preferences still exist, but at least people are more aware that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and skin tones.
While everyone will still have their opinions as to what is beautiful and what is not, at least there’s a movement out there which gently and effectively reminds people that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made.
Now you can know that just because you aren’t a mirror image of an air-brushed model on a magazine cover, you don’t have to drastically change something about yourself in order to be accepted by society.
Something to challenge (my thoughts on bad messages in favor of the status quo):
Have you ever seen a television commercial for something you know you as a believer or nonbeliever should not be doing because it’s simply not good for your health?
Commercials parade champagne and cigars as part of living a “glamorous” and “good” life. I cannot count how many times champagne and cigar ads have dominated billboards, magazine pages, and have made special appearances in the hands of actors in the latest films.
Are we saying that it’s OK to consume products that cause lung cancer, liver failure, and much more? Are we saying it’s OK to have a drink—as long as you’re being socially responsible (“don’t drink and drive”) or that it’s OK to participate in risky behavior (because you only have “one life to live”)?
We are not our own. God has bought us with a price—even our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit—which is reason enough to strive for a higher standard.
A royal priesthood
Christians are called to be the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13–16).
Let’s not forget that Jesus didn’t fit in. He stood out! “None will ever be called to perfect Christian character under more unfavorable circumstances than that of our Savior. . . . The example of Christ would rebuke the idea that His followers are dependent upon place, fortune, or prosperity, in order to live blameless lives. . . . Christ’s life was an example of persevering energy, which was not allowed to become weakened by reproach, ridicule, privation or hardships.”*
Regardless of what you do or where you are in life, it’s important to remember two things: who you are andwhose you are. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, NRSV).
God has called us to be separate, to be holy. He does not want us to conform to the ways of the world (Rom.12:1, 2). It’s so easy to be part of the crowd, to “go with the flow,” “to travel with the wind.” But it’s not so easy to take a stand, remain firm in your faith, and to boldly take the gospel truth to the world.
Jesus never said that life on earth would be easy. But He has promised that He will be with us even until the end of the age; and He’s promised us that we can do all things through Him, because He gives us strength (Phil. 4:13).
Standing Strong
“Music of the Heart” is one of my favorite films. It’s based on a true-life story about a violin teacher and her students in an inner-city school. In one scene, the teacher is explaining that when playing the violin, one must stand strong so that no one can push you or move you from your performance stance.
Patiently, Roberta (the teacher) shows her students how to make an “L” stance using the tiles and line grooves as markers— a position which once assumed, results in the budding violinists “standing strong.”
This wise teacher then moves from student to student as she tests their stance by giving them a slight push. Several students fall out of place because they aren’t “standing strong.” One little girl named Guadalupe takes a hard fall because she wears braces on her legs. Roberta allows her to sit in a chair instead of standing and then proceeds with the violin lesson.
Later in the film, Guadalupe extends her violin and bow to her teacher—essentially voicing her desire to quit. When Roberta asks Guadalupe why she wants to give up, Guadalupe says that she is too weak to “stand strong.”
Roberta kneels so that she is at eye-level with Guadalupe. She reassures her student by saying, “Well, standing strong doesn’t mean just using your legs. You can stand strong on the inside. You know what I mean?” Roberta emphasizes this message as she points to the area where Guadalupe’s heart is located. Guadalupe smiles. Roberta smiles. And a lesson is learned. Stand strong—even when the odds are against you.
We serve a mighty God who gives us faith to move mountains. He created each of us with enormous potential to do mighty works for Him. God values all of His children as heirs to the eternal kingdom. If only we could see ourselves and others as He sees us! Maybe then we wouldn’t be afraid not only to stand out but to stand strong.
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*Messages to Young People, pp. 79, 80.