I am Not Ashamed...

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

We lived in Atlanta from 1994-2000 and attended a fabulous church there during that time. We hadn’t attended a church that sang a lot of the contemporary praise songs before, and this one introduced us to many that we still love. The worship leader would also prompt you to think more about the words and the meaning. For example, whenever we sang “I Stand in Awe,” the congregation would begin singing while seated…but when we got to the chorus, we would all stand. It was so moving and powerful to stand and raise our voices together in awe of our Lord.

Fast-forward to 2001. We had moved to North Alabama and attended a much smaller church that had just started singing the songs that we’d come to love in Atlanta. And on that very first Sunday, the church sang, “I Stand in Awe.” Naturally, when the chorus started, J.R. and I stood and continued singing.

And it didn’t take us but a second to realize…

We were the only ones standing.

Now, let me tell you a little about the people around us. Many of them were people I had attended church with for years during my youth. Several were my relatives. In fact, my sister nudged my brother-in-law to stand so that we weren’t on our own, but he shook his head. And she remained in her pew as well. It was just out of the comfort zone for everyone in the building, and no one was budging.

In spite of this awkward fact, J.R. and I remained standing through the remainder of the song, and then sat with the rest of the congregation.

I think about that first service at our small church often, particularly when I encounter other situations in life where I feel I’m standing on my own. Every now and then, when we follow our Savior, it causes us to stand out from the crowd, to feel different, even a bit awkward. And we have a choice. We can sit back down and blend in with the masses, or we can remain standing, unashamed, and praising our Heavenly Father.

I’d love to say I always remain standing, the way my husband and I did that Sunday at our new church, but sometimes the awkwardness gets the best of me, and I disappear within the crowd instead of standing tall for my Lord. But Christ stood up for me, didn’t He? He went to the cross for me! And I pray for His forgiveness when I find myself quietly blending instead of standing for His glory.

This Week: When you are tempted to take the easy route, to blend with the masses instead of standing against the crowd, remember the One who stood for you, who still stands for you and who will always stand for you. And make a difference. Do not be afraid to be seen. Oh, and about that small congregation in Alabama…they still sing “I Stand in Awe” fairly often. But nowadays, when they hit the chorus…everyone stands

Mondays with Jesus 2017: Devotions to Begin Each Week of the Year


Renee Andrews