-- Wednesday, 7/28/10 -- NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS -- Judges 6:27

[J.R. & Bonnie Ricks]

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NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS -- Judges 6:27 NIV

 

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

 

God had given Gideon a perilous assignment.  Gideon lived in a city that was dominated by Baal worship.  Even his own father had an altar to Baal.  God told Gideon to tear down the altar and the wooden statue of the female deity (the Asherah) and to use the wood to make a burnt offering to God.  Gideon was determined to do what God said, but he was scared to death.  He knew that what he was going to do would infuriate his father and all the other men.  So he got some of his servants to help him, and he did it at night!

 

When you know God is compelling you to do something that will anger those around you, what do you do?  Avoid the issue?  Or do you go ahead, knowing that is what God wants you to do?  And if you do go ahead, do you do so openly, or do you figure out a way to side-step the confrontation and do it “at night” – in some way secretly, so that it won’t be so easy for anyone to know it was you who did it?

 

At the office, when others gather and start gossiping, do you join in? Or just keep silent?  What do you think God wants you to do?  What would your coworkers think of you if you showed them how God feels about gossip (referred to as “slander” in scripture)?  Would you openly tell them – in a loving way, of course - that in 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NIV), Paul said, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.”  And that in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV), he also said, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  Since most people are totally unaware that God ranks gossip right in there with the “biggies” like adultery and murder, do you think your coworkers might be grateful?  Or will they be angry with you?  But most of all, if you are telling them these things for their own eternal good, why should you be concerned with whether they’ll get angry with you or not?

 

Gossip (slander) is just one example of many similar situations in which we can find ourselves.  In any situation, which do you allow to rule in your life – your commitment to the Lord or your fear of what others will say or think or do?  Think about it.

 

 

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