THAT UPON WHICH I STAND MANY STAND
MOST IN WEIGHTLESSNESS
OR SHIFTING FOUNDATION
OF SWIRLING SAND. THESE LOST SOULS
DRIFT UPON VARIOUS WINDS OF POPULARITY
YET ARE OF ONE ACCORD
IN THEIR FORLORN HOPE. I AM A MAN
STANDING ON THE CORNERSTONE
OF THE SON OF MAN.
IT NEVER SHIFTS,
NOR WILL I FROM IT.
FOR IT IS NOT POPULAR CONFORMITY
WHICH I SEEK
ONLY THAT,
UPON WHICH I STAND.
-By S. Bryant Lewis Where you go and how far you will go depends on your vantage point. What I mean by that is that where you stand in life determines what you see around you. And what you see around you determines your reality. In the poem, That Upon Which I Stand, I speak of weightlessness and shifting foundations of sand. A persons personal foundation in life can be weightless and shifting. How? Well, if one's character is made up of a little deceit, mistruth from time to time, poor work ethics, cheating every once and a while, etc. - then their foundation is built on something that shifts. Their foundation is not solid. When the storms in life come, they have a difficult time standing up. The term "lost souls" refers to people who are always searching for the answers to success, but from their vantage point they can only see the swirling desert sands. They have, for many reasons, found serving the Lord undesirable. They are lost souls and many of them do not know how lost they really are. All they know is that they can not see success from where they stand. And when they do see success, often times it is only a mirage. This erodes away their hopes and dreams. The second verse, also, deals with the people who drift or are blown about because they are always floating around on winds of popularity. What I mean is that they make their decisions bases on what is popular, rather than what is the right thing to do. Those who make their life's decisions in this fashion are one great big unhappy brotherhood or sisterhood. This is a hopeless state to be in. Why? Because the decisions they mare are not based on a crucial moral principle. That principle is consistently choosing right over wrong. This leads me to the third verse. If you choose to stand on a moral foundation - you can see success. Success is not lost in a sand storm or part of a mirage. God can help you see success. When he does, it is something you can clearly visualize in your mind. Once you can visualize success, you can do what is necessary to bring it about. In the book of Joshua, in the 24th chapter, we see that Joshua and his family have a choice as to where they will stand. This was not a one time choice or a temporary rest stop in life. Joshua was determined to stand on a moral foundation given by God. God's foundation does not shift. It is not affected by life's storms, but will help you ride those storms out. We should not be lead adrift by the winds of popularity. We need to remain loyal to truths in God's word, instead of trying to find acceptance in the eyes of others. Men and women need to be leaders in not only their jobs, but their homes as well. By becoming leaders, who are consistently choosing to stand on Gods principles people are less likely to be blown away by the winds of popularity. Like Joshua, we need only stand and say, "but as for me and my house - we shall serve the Lord and build our house on his foundation. |
