October 10, 2008
Threats
A while back a recall petition was being circulated in our community. Soon after petitioners began getting signatures it was announced by the opposition that the names of all those signing the petitions would be published in the press. Although I never did see a published list of those who signed, I suspect that the threat had an impact on potential signers. We see a similar situation in the early church and many believers found themselves under the threat of being put out of the synagogue. Scripture’s formula on dealing with intimidation shows us examples of both standing-up-against and running-away-from threats. Our reaction should probably be more a matter of just listening to the Spirit…sometimes I think He wants to see if our fight or flight instinct will kick in.
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Gail;
-----This kind of intimidation plays on the field of our need to be accepted, at the least - or better yet - to be admired by others. We don’t know everyone around us enough to be sure about how they stand on certain issues. So we play it safe. We will dare to take a stand, sign a petition in private, but not dare to have it known that we did. One of our ballot issues this year is precisely that matter: elimination of the privacy for votes cast by employees concerning the unionization of a company’s workforce. It is an attempt to legalize intimidation tactics. We have seen intimidation tactics happen in the church, for good and, more often, for bad. In fact, the prescription Paul gave the Corinthians concerning the brother living with his father’s wife, had a strong element of intimidation, and so also his prescription for dealing with elders found involved in significant sin. So intimidation isn’t all bad.
-----That is why we must be careful to love one another deeply from a pure heart. The true affections of sincere care for your fellow man place a resistance in the heart to causing him damage. A pure heart is able to discern between the pain of intimidation that is damage, or the bad taste that is medicine. The resistance coming from love will slow the attempt to intimidate enough that the sincerity of care will be able to examine the circumstances. Then, if it is found that intimidation in the situation is medicine, resistance, unlike a barrier, can be penetrated and will cause the medicine to be applied with gentleness.
-----On the other hand, concerning the intimidatee, there must also be the same resistance to quick response. Sometimes it is proper to accept the intimidation and be steered by its direction. Sometimes flight is right. Sometimes fight. But all according to the godly behavior the new life has brought us. Things in this world are not simple, and they need careful weighing. Therefore God tells us to fear nothing but Him. That way nothing, including intimidation, will cause us to break into an automatic response without giving the matter a careful, spiritual weighing.
Love,
Steve Corey
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