A Lesson from A Cactus (and Jesus)

The Courage to Stand Alone~

In our lives, we will invariably face times when we must stand alone.

This can happen in our workplaces. It can happen in our community.

This can happen in our families and in our churches.

It struck me today in the gospel of Mark how alone Jesus must've felt.

He was more alone than any of us in our comfort and convenience in life will ever understand.

Yet he went forward, alone, standing strong to die for those not worth the effort or time.

Yet, we are. If we weren't worth the effort and time, it would not have been done.

Can I suggest, today, you take inventory of your life and where you are.

Have you stood in the face of opposition at any point, or have you, like so many, gone along to get along?

The Coronavirus phase in the world displayed and opened bare man's willingness to go along to get along.

It's this willingness that has led so many of us to go astray in our lives.

We fear the ramifications of our not complying with "the man".

One one hand, we "hate the man".

On the other, when "the man" gets close to those things which create fear in us...suddenly, we willingly go along with "the man".

None are immune.

For example, one of the hardest things in the world right now for me personally is making videos that are me, in the RAW.

In this process of trying to please the Youtube Algorithm, I find it hard to be authentic and real. I find it hard to be Rob.

Instead, I find that I am working from a perspective of who I think I need to be to win an audience.

Yet, this is a terrible model from which to build.

No greatness has ever come from anyone across the vast historical record of earth NOT willing to stand alone should it be required.

This is a lonely place to be for all of us. So, when pressed, we go along to get along FAR TOO OFTEN.

While all of us are not destined to be singularly spectacular leaders like, say, an Anthony Robbins, a Zig Ziglar, a Margaret Thatcher, an apostle Paul, we are called to be courageous and live a life of boldness.

Can I say, you are called into this, be it large or small.

You have the potential to stand alone and be someone that is looked to for strength, courage and resolve.

Like this giant Saguaro standing alone at the break of dawn in the desert, you may, at one time, be required to stand alone in the darkness waiting for dawn to break behind you.

Through the pain, through the anxiety, through the hardship, through the loneliness, once past, you will have grown some. You will have gained something critical to success in life.

You, through your courage and willingness to stay the course, even it if means job loss, family loss, friendship lost, will gain respect.

With that time, the respect gained will, like a magnet draw to you the right kind of people, the best kind of followers.

Followers, who, like you, learning from your example, mirroring the life of courage they see, will in turn...like a virus, spread this mindset to others.

This is what America and the world needs more than anything today.

This is what the Church needs more than anything right now.

A man with a willingness to say, "no, that's not how it works here", regardless of what the popular narrative on Social Media is at the time.

-rob out