There are risks to Christian living that are rarely talked about. We should be discussing these things openly so that when they happen, it doesn’t catch us off guard. One such risk is looking stupid.
Shortly after I got married, a co-worker turned on me. While never close, we had always gotten along well enough. I couldn’t understand why the sudden hostility. Nothing obvious had occurred—I hadn’t purposely offended her in any way. A breach in this type of relationship meant that every single detail of my work day was under her critical scrutiny. I could barely walk into the office without feeling visually x-rayed for something to bug me about that day.
Then one day, things erupted. She stood over my desk, telling me what she thought of me and my work standards. But God! He gave me something to say. Still seated, I looked her straight in the eyes and asked her calmly: How can we work together to overcome this? I was looking to repair things, even though I didn’t understand how it was broken. I wasn’t up for fighting nor for constantly attacking her just because she did it to me first.
I’ll never forget her response. Her jaw dropped at my question, she rolled her eyes, turned away and sat down. Clearly she was prepared for a verbal boxing match, but I was not to be her opponent that day.
I knew in that moment that I looked stupid. Who walks away from defending themselves? Why not say something, anything? Because all battles are not necessarily personal. I found out later that this co-worker’s marriage was in the midst of a break-up. Things were crumbling in her personal life and I, as a happy newlywed, became an easy target.
There will be too many times where we will be called to walk away from certain battles. We may not understand how or why, in that very moment. Regardless, it’s still our duty to obey God’s leading. He doesn’t have to explain Himself to us at any time, though He sometimes does give us a glimpse of the truth.
Yet, at the risk of looking stupid, I was able to show God’s love, grace and forgiveness. I was willing to take that first step forward, to show surrender and a desire to move on. My behaviour needed to reflect my Saviour, especially during a challenge. In turn, He filled me with His peace–the one that exceeds beyond what I can understand.
Looking stupid is temporary. The results, however, affect our eternal future.
