Remain At Your Post

“Remain at your posts and do your duty — for the glory of God and His Kingdom.” — Chuck Colson

I love the above quote from Chuck Colson. It’s a quote that inspires me to remain faithful in what God has put before me and what He has called me to as a husband, father and pastor. I have this quote in a few different locations where I will see it daily to remind me to stay faithful.

It’s not always easy to stand your post when opposition comes, when you head in God’s direction even when it’s not the most popular choice. When hardship or trials come our way, many times our flesh wants to go and hide or run away from responsibility.

We all want to believe that when the wind blows and the storms come that we will remain faithful, whether it’s at our job or at our school, or when we get home from a long day and are exhausted. Maybe it’s your struggling marriage that the enemy is telling you is over, or your ministry that seems like it’s at a standstill and you think is ineffective.

I have seven words for you: Stand firm always; remain at your post.

The beauty of God’s inspired Word — the Bible — is that it has the answers to all of our problems and questions. “It gives us everything we need to get through this life,” as the young pastor Timothy wrote in the New Testament. I love to open God’s Word and receive life, encouragement and correction.

Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about remaining at your post.

As Christian brothers and sisters in the work of the ministry as laborers of Christ, we are encouraged in 1 Corinthians 15:58. Paul writes, “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.”

We are promised that if we stand firm, our work will not be in vain.

What does the Word show us about standing and remaining at our post as a husband or wife, father or mother? Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

We are called to love one another, to be on guard, to be courageous.

I love this quote from Pastor Matt Chandler on courage: “We all think that being courageous is ‘Braveheart.’ Many of us will never have to physically die, but courage is coming home after working a 8-, 10-, 12-hour shift and starting second shift to nourish and invest in our wives and children.”

Boy, I need help in this area. But I choose today to serve the Lord — Joshua 24:15b, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Now let’s look at when remaining in your post is the toughest — when the storms come.

We all have faced this in our walk with the Lord, those times you just didn’t know “why.” Is it OK to question? Yes. During these times, I find myself speaking these words to my Creator, “I don’t always understand You, but I love You.”

How about the times when you are obeying the Lord and no one else understands? The Bible has many verses on this topic, but I will share only one. In Luke 21:17-19, Jesus says, “Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.”

Stand firm, and you will win!

Remaining at your post is a tough job to do by yourself; we need one another. The opposition against us is great. Remember, there is a real devil, and he is trying to lead us to a real hell. Just like lions on the plains of Africa, the enemy is roaming, looking for individuals to devour and to maim. This is a one-person sport; lions go after only one animal at a time, not the whole group. We all go through these attacks. WE NEED ONE ANOTHER.

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, it reads, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

So I will be faithful by God’s grace. I will take Chuck Colson’s advice and remain at my post, serving God and supporting my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Remain At Your Post