A Wandering Thought
IT DOES NOT MATTER who you are or what you accomplish you have no power to force people to do your will. The LORD, Who sits enthroned between the cherubim, does not force, coerce, or bully anyone into a decision. This may be why the revolutionary Nikki Giovanni says, “Power is not in land or money, but in the ability to influence.” And this is why the LORD’s first question to Job in His awful interrogation is, “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” Every question after also address who Job is. Not in person but in essence, status, and power. Therefore, we must acquiesce to the axiom of life which teaches, God does not force His will nor should we. To those who dissent, I ask, “Who are you?”
When people willfully decide to make a choice it must be on their terms because the stain of iniquity leaves an immobile, hideous scar. Their obstinateness and hubris is the fruit of their hearts and bitterness its flavor and antipathy its nutrients. Naturally our hearts are hard like an infant’s skull and only soft in some areas. We, naturally, desire our own will, and most of the time, we pursue our wills to the neglect of our community. At this point, our desire to conform to Jesus must usurp our selfish yearnings. One tool we can accomplish this with is introspection. As we search our hearts we will discover that there are two reasons why we do a thing. First, we follow orders for selfish gain. There is a benefit we gain from submission. Second, the person who we submit to is such a light that like insects we are drawn to them. We flock and stampede to them. Sometimes we follow them thoughtlessly and uncritically to our own peril.
And what of the writer and the reader? Let us review our own lives. Why is it that we do or do not yield to a request? May we all use this wisdom to ensure that this New Year is full of peace and faith and patience instead of anxiety and bitterness and hatred as we understand we only have the strength to control ourselves.
“Some things cannot be forced but they must unfold, sending their tendrils deep into the heart of life, gathering strength and power with the unfolding days. This is manifestly a dangerous doctrine because it suggests that men must accept evil, exploitation, poverty, etc., confident that in due time things will come around all right.”
