HOW TO TAKE A STAND
12/07/11 11 Filed in: COACHING | LEADERSHIP
It seems that life is full of times when we need to take a stand. If you peruse the latest news you see all sorts of issues involving people taking a stand. The “Occupy Wall Street” people have been taking a stand for more than two months. Now authorities seem to be taking a stand against them. The Penn State Football program is in chaos because they didn’t take a stand when they should have, so now they are taking a stand and the whole thing is a mess. The NBA was at a stand-off—billionaires and millionaires taking stands against each other. The Congressional “Super” committee deadlocked as both sides refused to back down from their stands.
Personally we often find ourselves needing to take a stand. It might be boundaries at home, curfews for the kids, communicating what we can and can’t do with the boss, or holding those who work for us accountable. As church leaders taking a stand is simply a regular part of life and ministry. We often find ourselves in the unenviable position of taking a stand.
Malcolm X is credited for the line: “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
And Martin Luther put it this way, “Here I stand; I can do no other.”
Darius’ stand was purely political, spurred on by insecure politicians and it ended up making the king look bad. I understand that we have to be aware of politics in our world and in our organizations, but whenever I have taken a political stand, I have made myself look bad.
There’s an interesting note in Daniel 5 where Daniel has an opportunity to take a stand on money. But he passes:
Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.—Daniel 5:17 (TMV)
I have taken a stand on money a few times in my life. And I have regretted every one of those stands. I have looked foolish, selfish and even a bit ridiculous.
I got a kick out of the NBA lockout negotiations when a few weeks ago it came out that the owners were taking a stand at wanting 50% of revenues and the players were taking a stand at 52%. It became so heated that talks broke down, both sides left and terms like “nuclear winter” “cancelling the season” were being thrown about. Hmmm, 50 vs 52, what could possibly be a solution? It was clear neither side was smarter than a fifth-grader because it took them several more weeks to agree on 51%.
Jim Rome concludes, “As soon as you say, ‘It’s not about the money,’ we know it’s all about the money.”
I don’t see ultimatums from Daniel, or even his friends. Daniel’s tone is very soft when he takes a stand on vegetables in chapter 1. And in chapter 6 he doesn’t say a thing before being thrown into a fiery furnace. He shows that we can take a stand without laying down ultimatums. The kings who throw down the gauntlet in the Daniel story are the ones who look bad.
Be careful!
Dumb joke #1: Two unemployed guys are talking. One says, "I'm going to become a lion tamer." The other replies, "That's crazy, you don't know nothing about no lion taming."
"Yes I do!"
"Well, OK, answer me this. When one of those lions comes at you all roaring and biting, what you gonna do?"
"Well, then I take that big chair they all carry, and I stick it in his face until he backs down."
"Well, what if the lion takes that big paw, and hooks the chair with them big claws, and throws that chair out of the cage? What do you do then?"
"Well, then I take that whip they all carry, and I whip him and whip him until he backs down."
"Well, what if that lion bites that whip with his big teeth, and bites it in two? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, then I take that gun they all carry, and I shoot him."
"Well, what if that gun doesn't work? What will you do then?"
"Well, then I pick up some of the poop that's on the bottom of the cage, and I throw it in his eyes, and I run out of the cage."
"Well, what if there ain't no poop in the bottom of the cage? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, that's dumb. Cause if that lion comes at me, and he throws the chair out of the cage, and he bites the whip in two, and my gun don't work, there's going to be some poop on the bottom of that cage, you can bet on that."
Be careful, when we take a stand, there is often, well…poop. So, proceed with caution!
Abraham Lincoln advised, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.
2. Ask for Permission
Daniel 1 shows that a great way to take a stand is to ask permission to take that stand:
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods….
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.—Daniel 1:8-13 (NLT)
Often we can accomplish more with a “suggestion” than with an ultimatum.
“Boundaries” authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend say that a great way to get started on boundaries is to simply ask for permission: “Do me a favor, let me say “No’ this time.”
We don’t have to announce to our in-laws, “We are never going to your house for the holidays again!” We can simply ask, “Do us a favor, let us say ‘No’ for this year.”
3. Value the relationship
When Daniel was protected from the fiery finance we read:
The king was overjoyed—Daniel 6:23 (NLT)
It is amazing to me that in both cases where Daniel took a stand, the authorities he took a stand against ended up on his side. Daniel was able to take a stand without losing the relationship.
I guess I always felt that taking a stand must mean that the relationship was now on the line.
Winston Churchill said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
But Daniel shows that taking a stand doesn’t necessarily mean creating enemies. He took a stand and made friends in the process. Which leads to the next point:
4. Get some friends
The story of Daniel reminds us that it is a lot easier to take a stand when we have friends like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego taking a stand next to or near to us.
Dumb joke #2: A rather well-built man saw an advertisement for a job at the zoo. When he went there, he was horrified to find that the only job they had open was for somebody to play the part of a monkey. A lot of children were coming in the next few days, and the zoo, having no monkeys, needed someone to impersonate one. Since money was tight, the man decided he would take the job. He arrived before sunrise, got into the monkey outfit, and slipped into his cage. Finally, day dawned, and the children came. All he had to do was pensively pace the floor, look rather adept at swinging between trees, and eat the peanuts and bananas whenever they were fed to him. After eight or ten hours, he became thoroughly exhausted. The bananas were getting the better of him. As he swung from one tree to another, rather nauseated, he slipped and fell into the lion's den next door. He shouted, "Help! Help!" The lion leaned over and said, "If you don’t keep quiet, we'll both lose our jobs."
That great theologian Eminem says, “I'm not afraid to take a stand. Everybody, come take my hand. We'll walk this road together, through the storm, whatever weather, cold or warm. Just lettin’ you know that, you're not alone. Holla’ if you feel like you've been down the same road.”
I must admit that I don’t often quote Eminem and I don’t even know the tune to that rap, but he packs a point—taking a stand works best as a team sport.
That is why we have a GHC Network: We are here to support each other, to help each other, and to take a stand with each other.
5. Let God Be God
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”—Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT)
Too often we make demands on God when we take a stand. These men knew God was able to do anything. He could save them, but even if he decided not to, they were okay because they trusted God to do what he wants.
Recently the St. Petersburg Times reported the death of a Ukrainian man who was mauled by a lioness at the Kiev Zoo. He encountered the animal on purpose, believing that God would protect him. A zoo official said the man lowered himself by a rope into a concrete enclosure holding four lions. Shouting, "God will save me, if he exists," the man took off his shoes and strode toward the animals. One lioness came to meet him. She knocked him down and quickly severed his carotid artery. Zoo officials stated that the incident—which occurred in front of a large crowd—was the first of its kind.
God has my back, he has your back. But let’s recognize that taking a stand may end up with us in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace, or in bigger trouble. God can save us and protect us, but that’s his choice, not ours.
6. Go for it.
I like this quote from Lynne Twist: “When you take a stand, it actually does shift the whole universe and unexpected, unpredictable things happen.”
Daniel’s stand on what he would eat set him up for a promotion, and his stand on trusting God only set the pace for future greatness. We all face situations where we have to take a stand, it might not be comfortable, but we have to do it.
Sometimes we have to take a stand, when that time comes, go for it.
Personally we often find ourselves needing to take a stand. It might be boundaries at home, curfews for the kids, communicating what we can and can’t do with the boss, or holding those who work for us accountable. As church leaders taking a stand is simply a regular part of life and ministry. We often find ourselves in the unenviable position of taking a stand.
Malcolm X is credited for the line: “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
And Martin Luther put it this way, “Here I stand; I can do no other.”
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND.
The question is how? How can we take a stand?
One of the best examples I know of properly taking a stand is the prophet Daniel. In the first six chapters of the book of Daniel we see some great examples of how to take a stand. Daniel is presented with customs outside of his culture and faith, so he takes a stand. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have to take a stand against worshipping a gold statue, and Daniel has to take a stand about to whom he can pray.
Sometimes we have to take a stand. Here some suggestion on how from Daniel:
1. Be Careful
Be bold in what you stand for, but be careful what you fall for.
The story of Daniel gives us great insight on what to stand for—and what not to stand for. King Darius, in chapter 6, makes a huge mistake by taking a political stand on something silly.
All of your officials, leaders, advisors, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next thirty days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions. Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed." So King Darius made the law and had it written down. —Daniel 6:7-9 (CEV)
When the king realizes his political stand had endangered Daniel, we read:
The king was deeply troubled—Daniel 6:14 (NLT)
Sometimes we have to take a stand, and sometimes we don’t.
Winston Churchill put it this way: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
And Thomas Jefferson had a great line: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
The book of Daniel suggests we be very careful about taking stands. Here’s some issues to watch out for:
Darius’ stand was purely political, spurred on by insecure politicians and it ended up making the king look bad. I understand that we have to be aware of politics in our world and in our organizations, but whenever I have taken a political stand, I have made myself look bad.
There’s an interesting note in Daniel 5 where Daniel has an opportunity to take a stand on money. But he passes:
Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.—Daniel 5:17 (TMV)
I have taken a stand on money a few times in my life. And I have regretted every one of those stands. I have looked foolish, selfish and even a bit ridiculous.
I got a kick out of the NBA lockout negotiations when a few weeks ago it came out that the owners were taking a stand at wanting 50% of revenues and the players were taking a stand at 52%. It became so heated that talks broke down, both sides left and terms like “nuclear winter” “cancelling the season” were being thrown about. Hmmm, 50 vs 52, what could possibly be a solution? It was clear neither side was smarter than a fifth-grader because it took them several more weeks to agree on 51%.
Jim Rome concludes, “As soon as you say, ‘It’s not about the money,’ we know it’s all about the money.”
I don’t see ultimatums from Daniel, or even his friends. Daniel’s tone is very soft when he takes a stand on vegetables in chapter 1. And in chapter 6 he doesn’t say a thing before being thrown into a fiery furnace. He shows that we can take a stand without laying down ultimatums. The kings who throw down the gauntlet in the Daniel story are the ones who look bad.
Be careful!
Dumb joke #1: Two unemployed guys are talking. One says, "I'm going to become a lion tamer." The other replies, "That's crazy, you don't know nothing about no lion taming."
"Yes I do!"
"Well, OK, answer me this. When one of those lions comes at you all roaring and biting, what you gonna do?"
"Well, then I take that big chair they all carry, and I stick it in his face until he backs down."
"Well, what if the lion takes that big paw, and hooks the chair with them big claws, and throws that chair out of the cage? What do you do then?"
"Well, then I take that whip they all carry, and I whip him and whip him until he backs down."
"Well, what if that lion bites that whip with his big teeth, and bites it in two? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, then I take that gun they all carry, and I shoot him."
"Well, what if that gun doesn't work? What will you do then?"
"Well, then I pick up some of the poop that's on the bottom of the cage, and I throw it in his eyes, and I run out of the cage."
"Well, what if there ain't no poop in the bottom of the cage? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, that's dumb. Cause if that lion comes at me, and he throws the chair out of the cage, and he bites the whip in two, and my gun don't work, there's going to be some poop on the bottom of that cage, you can bet on that."
Be careful, when we take a stand, there is often, well…poop. So, proceed with caution!
Abraham Lincoln advised, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.
2. Ask for Permission
Daniel 1 shows that a great way to take a stand is to ask permission to take that stand:
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods….
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.—Daniel 1:8-13 (NLT)
Often we can accomplish more with a “suggestion” than with an ultimatum.
“Boundaries” authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend say that a great way to get started on boundaries is to simply ask for permission: “Do me a favor, let me say “No’ this time.”
We don’t have to announce to our in-laws, “We are never going to your house for the holidays again!” We can simply ask, “Do us a favor, let us say ‘No’ for this year.”
3. Value the relationship
When Daniel was protected from the fiery finance we read:
The king was overjoyed—Daniel 6:23 (NLT)
It is amazing to me that in both cases where Daniel took a stand, the authorities he took a stand against ended up on his side. Daniel was able to take a stand without losing the relationship.
I guess I always felt that taking a stand must mean that the relationship was now on the line.
Winston Churchill said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
But Daniel shows that taking a stand doesn’t necessarily mean creating enemies. He took a stand and made friends in the process. Which leads to the next point:
4. Get some friends
The story of Daniel reminds us that it is a lot easier to take a stand when we have friends like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego taking a stand next to or near to us.
Dumb joke #2: A rather well-built man saw an advertisement for a job at the zoo. When he went there, he was horrified to find that the only job they had open was for somebody to play the part of a monkey. A lot of children were coming in the next few days, and the zoo, having no monkeys, needed someone to impersonate one. Since money was tight, the man decided he would take the job. He arrived before sunrise, got into the monkey outfit, and slipped into his cage. Finally, day dawned, and the children came. All he had to do was pensively pace the floor, look rather adept at swinging between trees, and eat the peanuts and bananas whenever they were fed to him. After eight or ten hours, he became thoroughly exhausted. The bananas were getting the better of him. As he swung from one tree to another, rather nauseated, he slipped and fell into the lion's den next door. He shouted, "Help! Help!" The lion leaned over and said, "If you don’t keep quiet, we'll both lose our jobs."
That great theologian Eminem says, “I'm not afraid to take a stand. Everybody, come take my hand. We'll walk this road together, through the storm, whatever weather, cold or warm. Just lettin’ you know that, you're not alone. Holla’ if you feel like you've been down the same road.”
I must admit that I don’t often quote Eminem and I don’t even know the tune to that rap, but he packs a point—taking a stand works best as a team sport.
That is why we have a GHC Network: We are here to support each other, to help each other, and to take a stand with each other.
5. Let God Be God
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”—Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT)
Too often we make demands on God when we take a stand. These men knew God was able to do anything. He could save them, but even if he decided not to, they were okay because they trusted God to do what he wants.
Recently the St. Petersburg Times reported the death of a Ukrainian man who was mauled by a lioness at the Kiev Zoo. He encountered the animal on purpose, believing that God would protect him. A zoo official said the man lowered himself by a rope into a concrete enclosure holding four lions. Shouting, "God will save me, if he exists," the man took off his shoes and strode toward the animals. One lioness came to meet him. She knocked him down and quickly severed his carotid artery. Zoo officials stated that the incident—which occurred in front of a large crowd—was the first of its kind.
God has my back, he has your back. But let’s recognize that taking a stand may end up with us in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace, or in bigger trouble. God can save us and protect us, but that’s his choice, not ours.
6. Go for it.
I like this quote from Lynne Twist: “When you take a stand, it actually does shift the whole universe and unexpected, unpredictable things happen.”
Daniel’s stand on what he would eat set him up for a promotion, and his stand on trusting God only set the pace for future greatness. We all face situations where we have to take a stand, it might not be comfortable, but we have to do it.
Sometimes we have to take a stand, when that time comes, go for it.