I am a thinker. My mind tends to wander on a regular basis. Most of the time my thoughts turn into questions. These questions often haunt me. They convict me. These questions weigh on my mind every single day. I think this is healthy, but oftentimes, if I am not careful, this healthy thought process reverts to a very overwhelming sense of hopelessness, that then leads to a paralyzing fear of a deep, dark hole where no light could possibly penetrate. Thinking and pondering can sometimes be dangerous and depressing, but I would argue that we all must ponder on something or we are not truly going to be able to make a lasting impact in the community God has placed us in. The title of this entry is a question I have wrestled with for quite some time now. If I am not careful, this question will take me to that dark hole, but I pray that through the next few lines, we can, together, sort out this question and discuss a pathway to our answer.
In order to discuss moving from the sideline, we must discuss what put us on the sideline in the first place. What brought us to this point? What have we missed as a society, as a church, and as humans?
Much of these questions can be answered with one simple word…fear. We are afraid to get engaged. We are afraid to step out because we are afraid of getting stepped on. We are afraid to give voice because someone else may have a louder, more impactful one. We are afraid to stand tall because standing tall gives view to every one of the directions we are seeking to go. We are afraid to step off the sideline because the field is where most injuries and pain occur. It is highly unlikely that one will be hurt if their feet are planted firmly on the nice, soft, clean cut grass of the sideline. It takes guts to cross that sideline and step onto the dirty, mangled playing field. It takes guts, because that is where life truly happens.
Why do we operate from a posture of fear? Is it the fear of the unknown? Is it the fear of failure? Is it the fear of being cast out? When we live our life in this fear posture, we might as well pitch a tent, or better yet, build a house on the sidelines of life. Living in fear is crippling. It will truly make you incapacitated. This all sounds wonderful right? These are difficult truths but they are worth discussing because many of us are living in this state right now. Many of us step into our fear Snuggie and refuse to let go. We plant our roots on the sidelines and we watch as life passes by. Well, this should end. There is more to this life than fear of the unknown or the enemy.
We can live without fear because we operate from a victor’s posture. We can step off of that clean cut sideline and onto the dirty, mangled playing field because we already know the outcome of the game. The victory has been declared and the horn has sounded. The King reigns and the tomb is empty. Please understand this.
This brings us back to the title of this entry. The answer to this question is actually a simple one. We will stop calling the sidelines our home when we stop operating in fear and start operating with a posture of victory. So…I urge you to step out and stand up for all that is good and right. I urge you to find an opportunity to engage your community and make an impact. I urge you to demolish your sideline front property and take steps toward entering the dirty, mangled playing field. We would love for that to be at HOPE, but even if it is not, please find your place and start impacting your community for the greater Kingdom. I promise you will find this to be rewarding and a very joyful place. You will be hurt and you will get knocked down, but we keep pressing forward because we know how it ends, and let me tell you, victory is sweet!
posted by Andrew Wood, Executive Director of Hope Resource Center
