At a four-way intersection today, after following the usual
rules for such a traffic pattern, I took my turn and made a left turn in front
of another vehicle. I saw immediately by
the other driver’s gesture that he was angry at me. I mentally reviewed the rules: when vehicles
approach at the same time, the vehicle on the right has “right of way”. In the alternative, when the traffic is
heavy, and a pattern is established, then you follow the pattern. No matter what rule was applied, I was in the
clear “right”. Yet the other driver was
angry. I wondered what “injustice” he
had perceived or in what way he felt “aggrieved”.
Of course, in such situations, there is no opportunity to
sit down cordially and discuss the issue. It is almost certain that a discussion would be unproductive in any
event. I could have trotted out my credentials as an ex-cop with a law degree
but that would probably only have made him madder. The man was determined to be
angry and that was that. Sometimes people get like that.
As we study famous men from history who possess the character
traits that define “statesmanship”, we discover that they too had their
accusers and detractors. It is a virtual
certainty that when one strenuously defends an issue that has strong emotions
associated therewith, somebody, somewhere, is going to be “offended”. That should be no surprise as we are told in
the gospel of Matthew ( 5:10 NIV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because
of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In verses 11-13 Jesus tells us “ Blessed are
ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is
your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before
you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but
if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot
of men. (Mt 5: 11-13 KJV)
So they (religious leaders) persecuted the prophets who only
spoke only God’s truth. Jesus tells us
that our response to unjust accusation is be “the salt of the earth”, maintaining
our position in love and in grace, enduring and giving only good in return. Now, doesn’t that sound a lot like the definition
and application of “statesmanship”? Here
is something really interesting … If YOU can’t do that (if the salt has lost
its flavor), then WHO will? (wherewith will it be salted?) If you can’t (or won’t) stand firm in the
love of Christ, proclaiming His truth, then what good are you? (It is
henceforth good for nothing!)
When we answer the calling of God in our lives, we commit to
be His light and salt on the earth. It
comes at some cost to us, but then we have been “bought with a price” so our
service is His anyway. ( I Cor 6:20) When we commit to Christ, He shapes us and
conditions us so that we are fit for HIS service. Trials and adversity are the usual method
used to make us “mission capable”. Luke 14:28 says, "For which one of you,
when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if he has enough to complete it? Or, as they say in Tennessee, “If you
can’t run with the big dogs, then you’d better not even got off of the porch!”
You have been called. Did you answer “Here am I Lord, send me?”
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