This phrase conjures up for me chants of the masses. I think back to high school where rebellion to be different was so popular, everyone looked the same. Be different!… just like everyone else.
Resistance certainly has its place in all cultures, but I fear that a great many have lost the ability to know when its useful.
There have been news reports of children calling 911 on parents for taking their Xbox away (1). Where did they learn that behavior? Probably from the parents who called 911 on the fast food restaurant who didn’t get their order right (2).
What it boils down to, in my mind, what is worth resisting? As a Christian, I’m allowed to have my own political beliefs, agendas, and deep rooted opinions. But the follow-up question is inevitably, what is worth resisting? In other words, what do I want to be known for?
Do I want to be the guy who got fired because I couldn’t stand bad coffee in the break room any longer? I could be like Seinfeld and refuse to tolerate women who eat one pea at a time. Over every little injustice that creeps into my life, I could stomp my foot and strike up the Twisted Sister song, “We’re Not Gonna Take it!” For myself, I want to be known for my Christianity. So instead of taking up the flag of tax reform, I don the banner of Christ. I still vote for the tax reform I want, but its not the most important issue in my life. Its not what I want to be known for when I’m gone.
Can I stand up for myself? Yes! When? That is what I find so critical today. When should we choose to ignore versus fighting back for a fundamental right? And these questions seem to swirl around the issue. But they all paint the same picture. Can you function in a world where you don’t always get your way? Is resistance always making its way into your vocabulary? Do you have to think for a moment to consider all the different things you fought against?
Perhaps we should all ponder what matters in life? What defines us? Who do you want to be? What gets in the way of your dreams? What stops you from being a complete version of you? Maybe those things are worth opposing. Instead of letting world news be your buffet of resistible offerings, choose for yourself that you will define the true you, and then only focus on what matters most when taking a stand.
Far too many have confused ‘getting my way’ with ‘taking a stand for the good cause’. Some of us need to grow up. More of us need to know up. We need to learn about ourselves and finally decide who that person in the mirror needs to be. Don’t let the world define you. Knee jerk opposition is just that. Define yourself, and then you can make your own memorable and lasting impression on the world. Don’t be the girl who makes her life’s work protesting the removal of the McRib. (3)
My Companion 