DON'T CROSS ME

I know my rights. You try to take advantage of me and you will be sorry. I've been in this town before. I know the back alleys. I know when the guards go home. If you think you are going to get ahead of me, you better think again.

I am a small businessman. I have managed my own company for over 30 years. For 20 of those 30 years thepreceding paragraph describes my management style. Right or wrong, good or bad, respected or not, the results spoke for themselves. I stayed in the same location and I never filed for protection or bankruptcy. As far as I was concerned, this style of management worked for me.

After Jesus saved me, I spent several years fighting vigorously to keep Him out of the business. Why? I'll tell you why. Jesus declares a management style that is one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction of mine. I style that I not only didn't trust, but I also did not understand.

Here are but a few examples of what Jesus tells us.

"If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it."

"If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit for tat stuff."

If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it." [Luke 6:29&30;Matt. 5:40-The Message]

Now you have got to admit, this is a hard teaching. This is quite different from what would be commonly referred to as "running an honest business."

Many Christians run an honest business. It isn't easy, especially a small business. But Jesus isn't asking us to simply obey the 10 commandments. He has raised the stakes.

There are two primary reasons for not adopting His practices. They seem so unfair. But where in the Bible does God guarantee us fairness-this side of eternity? The fact is, Life is unfair. Your character development is of far greater interest to God than your guarantee of fairness. The second reason is, We might not survive if we allow people to take advantage of us. Where is it written that you are to survive? Jesus submitted to evil people to the point of being crucified by them, and He calls us to the same standard of surrender.

So the question is, can we trust our Sovereign God in simply obeying His Word without rationalization? Without compromise? And leave the outcome to Him? Jesus did. And He calls us to the same quality of faith and obedience.

I said earlier that His style was one I didn't trust and I didn't understand. I now say, I still don't understand it, but I trust it. After 10 years of repeated surrender over every conflict and injustice and uncertainty, Jesus has made a way for us that is His alone. It is the practice of having an eternal focus, that provides the willingness to go forward in Him.



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007