The Ways of Power and Influence
To the Western ear a “gift” given with the clear intent to secure a favor or benefit sounds more akin to a bribe. We’d be less than honest, however, to pretend that our own motives in giving are always pure.
Have you ever given a gift to a boss or co-worker in hopes of gaining favor? Have you ever gifted a neighbor in hopes they might one day feel obliged to pick up your mail or newspaper while you go on vacation? And even when the giving is a two-way exchange, have you ever felt that twinge of disappointment when the gift you opened is in some way less than the one you gave?
Do-Overs
Author Dr. Seuss says in his book The Lorax, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Perhaps you've heard the inspiring story of former Mayor Anthony Williams. Williams was born to an unwed teen who gave him up. He was known as a "problem child" in foster care. By age three, little Anthony had still never spoken a word. It seemed that a pattern for his life was set, that is, until two warm and caring people took a chance on him.
Anthony was taken in by an opera-singing postal clerk and her equally generous-hearted husband. He soon began to speak and eventually thrived in their home. He excelled academically and later attended both Harvard and Yale Universities.
In 1998, he came from obscurity to win 66% of the vote to become mayor in one of the world’s major cities. In his inaugural address, Williams said: "Forty-four years ago, my parents adopted me and gave me a second chance. I feel this city has now adopted me and I will give to it everything my parents taught me about love, service, commitment."
It’s no doubt that, had he never been adopted into his particular family, Williams life would have been wholly different. He was saved by a second chance. He got a do-over on his birth family.
Haven’t you been given do-overs on relationships, jobs, blown opportunities and the like? Haven't you benefited from the generosity of someone who cared? Hasn't God been generous toward you, granting you countless do-overs?
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12).
Thou Shalt Not Fish
Sometimes, making rules and regulations can backfire:
Consider the case of the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, Texas. This pier based hotel, constructed in the 1960’s, stretched 1,000 feet out to sea, capturing a panoramic view. Since the balconies were directly above the ocean, management decided to place signs in the room stating, 'Do Not Fish on Balcony.'
When the hotel was completed and ready to open, guess what started to happen? Guests began to fish off their balconies. Hotel guests would tie large lead weights to their fishing line to reach the ocean floor several stories below. Some guests would cast their line and miss the ocean altogether and the line would swing back towards the hotel, along with the heavy lead weights. Unfortunately, there were large picture windows on the first floor dining room and hotel management had to replace a number of broken windows. The crashing sound of windows breaking was a common occurrence to dining room guests.
The solution??
After evaluating their predicament, management wisely decided to remove all the “Do not fish on balcony” signs. This immediately resolved the problem of guests fishing on the balcony. It turns out guests did not even think about fishing until they read the sign.
Because of our fallen nature, the Law can actually work like an invitation to sin. It can take something good and holy like the Law and twist it to promote evil. Sin warps love into lust, an honest desire to provide for one’s family into greed, achievment into arrogance, ambition into bloodthirstiness, and the Law iitself nto a promoter of sin.
"But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead" (Romans 7:8, NIV).
"Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin" (Romans 3:20).