Faith Empowered Wisdom

Some years ago while traveling by train in India, we found ourselves on one of that country's majestic but aging stations. As usual the grand hall was filled with hundreds of people, and the hustle and bustle surrounding the process of travel by train in the world's second most populated country was exhilarating and unnerving at the same time.

As we crossed the wide platform towards our train, we became aware of a young boy, probably less than 10 years old or so, who was approaching us with hand outstretched..., one of India's countless child beggars. It was impossible not to notice that one of his bare feet was massively enlarged, probably a symptom of elephantitis. Our hearts went out to the little boy as he dragged his massive foot towards us. The sad truth was that he could have been cured from the disease if treated properly. Perhaps his parents were too poor to get help, or perhaps he was an orphan. Perhaps he was actually being kept the way he was just to gain more sympathy and thereby make more money for whoever was handling him.

We went sadly on our way, but the experience was burned into my memory. Often through the years I have thought sadly of that little boy, and wished that he could have been free to run and play like little boys should, rather than being used and abused because of his deformity.

How often does the world around us try to manipulate our emotions to gain an advantage over us? The truth is that many people have come to understand that one very effective way to get ahead - to raise funds or to get us to do something for them - is to manipulate our emotions through disturbing photos, videos or stories - showing the awful consequences of us not "donating to their cause."

Or we may have "friends" who try to manipulate us into an investment, a donation, or even a life-change process for one reason or another. Sometimes it may even be for a good reason...., to scare us into doing something we should probably do anyway for our spiritual or physical health or to tug at our heart strings so that we will loosen our purse strings for charity or missions.

What really motivates our behavior when it comes to making important decisions like these? Do we stop to think about the reality that many of these decisions will impact our eternity as much or more than our present? Do we let ourselves be manipulated by those around us because the words they are saying or the methods they are using twist our emotions around and cause us to make decisions which we may regret later on?

Some of those in the church in Galatia were manipulated - Paul used the term "bewitched" - into thinking that they had to follow a set of legalistic guidelines in order to live an appropriate "Christian" lifestyle. They had allowed themselves to become confused into thinking that they had to do good works to assure their salvation. The Apostle Paul responded vigorously in Galatians 3:2, 3 by saying: "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?"

It is an interesting reality of life that when we are proactive in our choices based on our love for our Savior, and because of our faith in Him, we will do what He created us to do, and be who He created us to be. When we are reactive to emotional and mental manipulations, we can end up making wrong choices and doing things for the wrong reasons.

Let's be wise and not foolish when it comes to all aspects of our life... but especially in regards to our life in Christ Jesus as children of God through faith.