Let’s continue learning from the past (reference the books listed in Part 10):
1.
You’d never believe how quickly you will exchange your morals for
survival. That’s why it’s so important to Know WHO you are and
WHAT you believe. If you compromise your beliefs and morals NOW, think of
how much easier it will be to compromise when faced with severe circumstances.
Lengyel’s book tells of women bartering their bodies (the last thing they have)
for food or clothes.
2.
You don’t have to be overly “religious” in order
to be a witness for God. The things you do, or don’t do, attest to WHO you
belong to. Integrity shows brightest in the darkness. Not
stealing in order to survive, telling the truth no matter the cost, not using vulture
language, not curing those who persecute you, giving to others out the abundance
of your poverty (trusting God to meet your needs), not resorting to violence
and sex in order to survive are all ways people in those books showed the
love of God in the worst environmental conditions imaginable.
Some went even farther by leading Bible
Studies while in the concentration camps and/or praying for those around them. There
are numerous ways we can let our lights shine, both in difficult times and not
so difficult times. Regardless, it begins with having personal Character/integrity.
Hard times challenge us, but they
also build our character and give us opportunity to show the world the Character
of God (love in action).
In Luke
6:27-30, JESUS instructs us to, “… Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless
those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them
the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from
them. Give to everyone who
asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
Romans
12:14 tells us to, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do
not curse”.
1
Peter 3:9 articulates this point
further, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary,
repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may
inherit a blessing.”
Matt
5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
You cannot always chose how you are treated,
but you can chose how you will respond. The Bible is clear on how Christians are
to behave—the character we are to display—even in the most trying of times.
Reflection Questions:
1.
Do you
have trouble trusting God in “good times”? If so, how do you think you will
respond when life gets harder?
2.
We all are guilty of compromising at times. What
are ways you can build your character NOW? (not taking an extra-long break at
work even if everyone else does, clocking in/out on time, not taking post-it
notes home from work, tithing, going to church even if you’re super tired/busy,
getting up 10 mins early to read your Bible, making a prayer journal and
actually using it, praying with kids before bed, etc)
3.
Do you have a “bottom line”, you know, a
standard of where you’d “never go” no matter what? Have you ever thought about the
things you’d be willing to compromise in order to make ends meet or survive?
It’s important to know who you are and what you stand for.
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