Stand Alone

Although baseball is a team sport, there comes a time during the game the player must stand alone. In the batter box, the player is alone. No one else can make decisions for him. He can look at the coach for guidance, but when the pitch is thrown the batter has to make his own choice—to swing or not to swing. He is standing alone.

Coast to Coast Athletics taught four fundamental truths that apply to playing baseball. The second of the truths presented was stand alone. When it comes to maintaining integrity, often it requires standing alone, not following the crowd.

In Judges 6, Gideon faced that choice. When the angel of the Lord met with Gideon, Gideon wanted to offer sacrifices to the Lord. He did and when it was received Gideon knew he was in the presence of the Lord. Then Gideon received his instructions.

That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” ~~Judges 6:25-26 NLT

Gideon received his guidance from the Lord just as a batter receives instruction from the coach. Now like a batter alone in the batter’s box, Gideon had to make a choice. Either follow the instruction or allow the fear what his father and the people would say or do to him stop him.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town. ~~Judges 6:27 NLT

So Gideon followed the instruction received. He alone made the choice, and then enlisted the help of his servants. Some choices are not easy to follow. Sometimes the batter has to make a choice to swing the bat as instructed. Sometimes the coach will ask the player to make a choice he doesn’t want to follow. Either way, he must stand alone.

As believers in Christ we are part of a team, yet we face times when we must make a decision alone. Rest assured—we have our guidance from the Lord. But as we stand alone we must make the choice to follow our Lord. Our family and friends may not make the same choice. But do we follow them or Christ? Do we eat that cookie or not? When we feel the nudge to call someone, do we make the call or not? When prompted to give to a particular ministry, do we give or rationalize how we can better use our money?

If we follow the directions of the Lord, He will never fail us. Stand alone and follow Christ!

Engrafted by His Grace--