12 | STAND ON BUSINESS

To stand on business is to be bold. To stand on business is to be confident. To stand on business is to have courage. I think when looking at the statement with no context, it could be seen in a negative way. Hear me out, when someone tells you they are standing on business, sometimes it could mean that there is no limit on what they are willing to do to back themselves should they find themselves in a situation in needing to defend themselves. Or, in the sense that it’s ‘my way or the highway’ and so it relates to those traits of boldness, confidence and courage in the perspective of stubbornness, as though they are strong willed, that strength is of hindrance to others, and in a way to themselves. I think that could be a fair presumption to make but it’s not the only standpoint to view it in.

Yes, standing on business is to be bold, confident and have courage but we shouldn’t see it in the way of the negative connotations as above, but in the positive connotations we will look into as below.

Standing on business with God in view is to be bold in your faith. Now that’s not an easy task. Society, community and even within your family can cause hardships for an individual to stand bold where every external factor is pushing for them to remain neutral or even, to an extent, timid and resolute to not believe in God. It’s worldly desires that causes this, but when you’re bold in faith, it’s not derived from a place of arrogance but actually it's balanced out from joy/pain. Being a child of God is not always easy. Sometimes when you pray for something and it didn’t happen in the way you sought for it to happen, it can cause one to question God and whether He’s actually present in their life, leaving said circumstance in pain wondering if God will see them through. Again, that’s one perspective. However, if they saw the circumstance in the view that it wasn’t supposed to happen how they sought for it to be and God was and is still working on something greater for them, they leave said circumstance in joy knowing that God is still making a way. Boldness derives from joy and pain. It’s all about perspectives, however, in my opinion I think it’s important for us to drive home the perspective of joy in all that we do. Pain is inevitable, yes, but we shouldn’t dwell in such pain, rather find joy. As Philippians 4:4 preaches, ‘rejoice in the Lord, always, again I will say it, rejoice!’

Some of us hold the self-title of God’s strongest soldiers because this life, yeah, this life indeed. And yet, we still boldly believe in God. We still boldly trust in His ways. We still boldly know that He has something great in store for us. We still boldly know that God would not leave us in this way. We find the joy in everything, as we do so, we live boldly in joy, everlasting praise as we stand on business, declaring that we are Children of the Most High who is a miracle worker, promise keeper and light in the darkness.

Confidence, a synonym to boldness but it can come in many forms. For today, we’re going to look at performance vs reality. Performed confidence is orchestrated, it’s a façade. One may find themselves hiding behind a mask, outwardly walking in faith to maybe impress others, or a certain individual, but inwardly living on false and pretence hope. Now that’s not really standing on business, is it? As a child of God, you need to live in truth, trusting God NO MATTER WHAT. No matter what. So, what’s the need to perform? You can’t pick and choose which day you feel like serving God and living in thelawdsway dependent on what He’s done for you. You must walk in confidence in your faith every single day. Every single day. We can’t be out here outwardly praising God with an audience then in the same breath when the audience departs to be blaspheming God, whether indirectly or directly in your thought, speech and actions. It’s not possible.

Now real confidence is walking boldly in your faith in God both in good and hard times. The reality is that standing on business will not always bring you what you want but it will always show you what you need to remain living in God’s way, truth and life. Like we confirmed earlier, pain is inevitable, but to remain confident in God’s work to help you overcome the pain is how you find joy to continue to stand on business. Again, it’s all about perspectives. How you perceive a situation affects how it will turn out and the access to the tools/mechanisms you may need to get yourself out of said situation. Confidence in God is key, but it must be real. It must be pure. It must be in truth- both outspoken and behind closed doors.

With that in place, we can embody the courage to get through whatever life may bring. We may not have the humane strength to see us through but courage in God will make the impossible, possible. Courage in God makes the limited limitless. Courage in God makes the bound free. He does it all. Again, courage is a synonym to both confidence and boldness. It’s how you measure the confidence in your abilities and capabilities that can help you to live boldly in God’s image as you set out to live your life to become all that you have been created to be.

So, have courage, find your confidence in God and live boldly in His image.

In Zechariah 3:2, it states And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

As a whole, the book of Zechariah speaks about the ways in which individuals can look for the hope God’s kingdom provides, amongst the chaos, as it is set after the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. Though it was set as that mindset in that time, I believe it is still relevant and important today. It reminds us that, regardless of the circumstances or situations that we find ourselves in, look for the hope and faithfulness we can find from God and not for the worry and chaos. Again, as we can see here, it’s all about perspectives.

This Book of Zechariah relays the visions that he had experienced and specifically to chapter 3, it was a vision about the High Priest Joshua who stood before the angel of the Lord, with satan standing beside him. Joshua had been dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel of the Lord. To satan, the angel of the Lord says the above verse 2 and to Joshua, the angel of the Lord says to take off his filthy clothes and in doing so, the angel has now removed Joshua’s iniquity from himself, and he would now be clothed with festive clothes. As he’s dressed in festive clothes, the angel of the Lord tells Joshua that if he remains faithful to God, Joshua will become a ruler to his people.

It's interesting when going to then read the book of Joshua, which comes a lot earlier in the Bible than Zechariah, specifically to 1:5-9 which the Lord says: No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

We see how much change had occurred to Joshua and his life in this timeline. Joshua was the new leader following the passing of Moses, with the mindset to encourage the people to be children of God, to obey God’s commandments, to follow His instructions, the Bible, daily and to never depart from God’s Word. On face value it could be seen that he walked boldly in Christ, but as you read through more of the chapters in the book of Joshua, it shows that at times, that boldness faded away and would only appear at times in fulfilling God’s purpose for the people and faithfully following and trusting God when looking at the battles against Jericho and Ai.

Then we see Joshua as a high priest in Zechariah’s vision. He was a leader, yes, but with what value? He stood in filthy clothes, engrossed in the iniquities, sins and wrongdoings the people had amassed against others and more importantly, against God. It wasn’t as clear on whether he still lived and led the people with the mindset of courage, following God’s instruction and never departing from God’s word. It was actually more clear that in fact, Joshua and the people were doing the opposite.

Even through all of this, God sought to exert faithfulness, mercy and grace to Joshua and the people, even when they didn’t acknowledge, deserved or received it with gratitude. So, seeing Joshua stand next to satan before the angel of the Lord, it was required for the angel to rebuke satan and disregard him entirely as the verse makes it clear that God chose Jerusalem. God chose His people, God chose Joshua to be removed from their iniquities and sins and be made renewed in God’s grace as the leader, again, though this time beckoned as a leader for Christ’s people.

In the same way, God chose us. He chooses us to be leaders on earth to lead people to a life in His image, His way, His truth. To lead is a big task and a significant role. It requires for us to be vessels of God’s Kingdom in Heaven here on earth. It requires for us to deny our flesh and stand on business through the Holy Spirit as children of the Most High. It requires for us to stand up for God and rebuke satan as he has no place in our lives.

Today I urge you to take that step to live boldly, in courage and in confidence in God in all that you do. Stand on business for the Lord, always.

Remember, Trust in the Lord, Love like the Lord, Walk with the Lord.TLW

who do we follow? thelawdsway