Do you ever feel like you are swimming upstream in a river that is moving way too fast? I certainly do. Every scroll and every headline seems to announce one more way you’re supposed to define yourself, prove yourself, and pick a side so you can belong.



However, “standing against the current” is not first about behavior. It’s about identity. It’s about living from the quiet strength of being loved.

For years, I thought “standing” meant moral toughness. Hold the line. Speak louder. Try harder. That sounds brave, but underneath it often hides performance thinking: If I do enough, I’ll be safe. If I get it right, I’ll be accepted.

The New Covenant begins somewhere else. It begins with Jesus’ finished work and the Father’s unconditional embrace. Therefore, we don’t stand to earn love. We stand because we are already loved.

Here’s the shift that changed everything for me: identity before behavior. When you know you are already held, you stop grasping for the world’s approval. You can breathe. You can listen. You can speak with Grace and Mercy instead of fear.

After 50+ years in ministry, I’ve learned this: you don’t have to go along to get along, because you don’t need the culture to tell you who you are. In fact, some of the greatest blessings I have experienced, in the Andean mountains of Arequipa, Peru, and right here at home, came when I stopped staring at the river and started resting in the One who carried me out of it.

Today, I want to talk to you about Jehoshaphat. He lived in a loud moment, too. Still, he didn’t build his life on noise. He returned to the God of covenant and goodness.

The Choice of a King

When we look at Jehoshaphat in the Old Testament, we see a man surrounded by a culture that had wandered far from God. The people around him chased “Baalim”: the popular, flashy idols of the day. Blending in would have been easy. However, Jehoshaphat chose something deeper than popularity. He returned to the God of covenant and goodness.

II Chronicles 17:3-4 “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.”

A lot of us read that and hear, “If I do it right, God will be with me.” I used to read it that way, too. Yet the “first ways” weren’t a moral ladder to climb. They were a relational return. Jehoshaphat sought “the LORD God of his father.” That tells me he didn’t chase an idea. He sought a Person.

So yes, Jehoshaphat didn’t chase the trend. He didn’t govern from fear. Still, the anchor wasn’t a moral performance. The anchor was trust in the covenant God who is good. Therefore, obedience didn’t become a means of securing God’s presence. It became the fruit of being near Him.

That’s the heart of Alignment Ministries, too. We don’t coach leaders into pressure. We walk with you into sonship: living from Grace, receiving Mercy, and letting faith-based development flow from relationship, not striving.

Resting in Jesus Over Political Noise

In our modern world, we face the same pressure Jehoshaphat did. Everything feels urgent. Everyone feels sure. Meanwhile, the world frantically tries to save itself through performance and politics. If you pick the “right” tribe, use the “right” words, and post the “right” opinions, maybe you’ll be safe. Maybe you’ll be accepted.

That’s exhausting. More importantly, it’s a false burden. Jesus already carried what we keep trying to carry.

So we don’t stand because we’re trying to win the culture war. We stand because we are already satisfied in Jesus. We’re not hunting for an identity marker. We’ve been given a name. Therefore, our peace doesn’t rise and fall with the news cycle.

During my 20 years as a missionary in the Andes of Peru, I watched this pressure take a different form among believers. It wasn’t social media, but the pull sounded familiar: “Tell people what they want to hear, and you’ll grow faster.” In those early days of ministry development, we had to decide: would we build on applause or on what God has said? By Grace, we chose the latter. It was slower at times. However, it was steady.

That’s why faith-based development matters. When Austin Gardner talks about Grace, Mercy, and faith-based development, I’m not talking about a softer faith. I’m talking about a safer foundation: you build from the Father’s love, not from fear of losing it.

Here’s one of the most freeing truths I’ve learned:

“Rest doesn't come after you fix yourself. Rest comes first.”

If performance thinking whispers, “Hurry up and prove it,” Mercy answers with a better word:

 “God is not disappointed in you. He is not measuring your worth by your consistency.”

When you know the Father as Father, you stop scrambling. Therefore, you can stand with a calm heart, even in a loud age.

Standing From Identity, Not Anxiety

So what does “standing against the current” look like today? It doesn’t start with a list of cultural “stands.” It starts with a settled heart.

When you rest in the finished work of Jesus, you can stand without needing the world’s approval. You can speak with courage and listen with compassion. In other words, you don’t stand to prove you’re righteous. You stand because you already belong to the Father, and you don’t need the river to name you.

That changes how we talk about hard issues, too. We don’t frame them as political trophies. Instead, we frame them through God’s original design of love and the beauty of His covenant.

1. Life: Loved on Purpose

Life isn’t an accident, and it isn’t disposable. From the beginning, God’s heart has been to give, protect, and bless. Therefore, we honor the unborn not as a slogan, but as a reflection of the Father’s love for the smallest and most hidden.

2. Gender: Received, Not Achieved

Our culture tells people, “Go create yourself.” Jesus says, “Come receive life.” The confusion is real, and the pain is real. Still, God’s design is not a cage. It is a gift. So we speak with mercy and clarity, believing identity is received in relationship with the Creator, not achieved through endless reinvention.

3. Marriage: Covenant Beauty

Marriage is more than a contract or a trend. It is covenant language. It tells the truth that love can be faithful, steady, and safe. I’ve seen the beauty of a restored marriage in my own life and in the lives of those I mentor. Consequently, when we honor marriage, we aren’t trying to control anyone. We’re protecting something beautiful that blesses the next generation.

From Performance to Grace (My Pivot Point)

I want to be very honest with you. For a long time, I thought standing against the current was about my own strength. I assumed I had to work harder, talk tougher, and carry myself like I never struggled. That’s performance thinking. It looks “strong,” but it’s heavy.

Then I walked through valleys I didn’t choose.

Stage 4 cancer changed my perspective. Later, COVID put me on a ventilator, and I faced days when my body wouldn’t cooperate, and my future didn’t feel guaranteed. In those moments, I couldn’t perform. I couldn’t prove anything. I could only be held.

That’s where Grace got personal for me. God didn’t show up as a disappointed supervisor. He showed up as Father. He stayed good. He stayed close.

I realized something I’ll never forget: I don’t stand because I am strong; I stand because I am loved. The finished work of Jesus didn’t just forgive me. It gave me a place to rest. It brought me into the Father’s unconditional embrace.

Here’s the confession I wish I had made sooner:

“I didn’t become legalistic because I hated grace. I became legalistic because I loved God and was afraid of losing Him.”

My journey from performance to Grace changed everything. I stopped trying to impress a judge and started trusting a Father. Therefore, I found my satisfaction in Jesus alone. When you are truly satisfied in Him, the world loses its leverage. You don’t need the culture to tell you that you’re okay, because God has already called you His.

As I often say:

“The Christian life was never meant to be powered by fear, pressure, or performance. It was meant to be lived from being loved first.”

Calm in a Loud World

When you decide to live by covenant instead of crowd approval, some people will misunderstand you. They may label you. They may push you into a political box. That is okay. Your life doesn’t have to be explained by the latest headline.

Standing against the current doesn’t mean you become angry or sharp. On the contrary, it means you live so anchored in God’s Mercy that you can stay steady while others panic. You aren’t trying to “win.” You’re trying to love well while telling the truth.

Here’s another sticky line I come back to often:

“Loved people become loving people.”

If you feel exhausted from trying to keep up, you can stop. Take a breath. Come back to Jesus. The Father’s unconditional embrace is not a reward for the strong. It is home for the weary.

Also, please don’t miss this: The Big Leap of Faith isn’t about doing more. It’s about believing that God loves you exactly as you are. From that place of security, you can stand against any current without losing your joy.

If you want ongoing leadership encouragement and faith-based development resources, I invite you to visit Alignment Ministries here: https://alignmentministries.com and the “From Austin’s Pen” archive here: https://www.alignmentministries.com/from-austins-pen. For my main blog hub and additional Grace-and-Mercy teaching, you can also browse https://waustingardner.com/blog/.

If you share with Spanish-speaking friends or family, point them to https://guillermoagardner.substack.com/ (and remind them my main home base is always https://waustingardner.com). You can also find weekly encouragement at https://waustingardner.substack.com and more resources at http://www.followedbymercy.com.

Let’s be like Jehoshaphat. Let’s seek the Lord and walk in His ways. You can rest here: God is good, God is for you, Christ is enough, and His Mercy will hold you steady.

FAQ: Standing Against the Current in the New Covenant

Is “standing against the current” mostly about taking moral stands?

No. Moral choices matter, but New Covenant living starts deeper than behavior. You stand best when you rest in the finished work of Jesus and live from your already-given identity as a beloved son or daughter.

How do I talk about modern issues without becoming harsh or political?

Start with God’s design of love and covenant beauty, not with fear. Then speak the truth with Mercy, because you’re not trying to win approval; you’re trying to love people toward life.

What do I do when I feel pulled back into performance?

Come back to the Father’s unconditional embrace and remember you are not being graded. Then take one simple step of obedience from rest, not panic, and let that calm strength shape your words and choices.

About the Author: Austin Gardner has spent over 50 years in ministry as a missionary, pastor, and mentor. Having served for two decades in Arequipa, Peru, Austin now focuses on faith-based leadership development and mentoring through a lens of grace and mercy. He is an international keynote speaker, author, and coach who has traveled to over 50 countries sharing the gospel. A survivor of Stage 4 cancer and COVID-19, he is dedicated to helping others find their ultimate satisfaction in Jesus.

Connect with Austin:

• Main Website: https://waustingardner.com
• Leadership Training: https://alignmentministries.com
• Personal Mentoring: https://waustingardner.com/personal-mentoring/
• Weekly Encouragement: https://waustingardner.substack.com (English) | https://guillermoagardner.substack.com (Spanish)
• Listen: https://followedbymercy.buzzsprout.com

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