What Are You Doing To Make A Difference?

Alonzo Stagg was one of the country’s outstanding football coaches, he kept substitutes on the bench constantly alert by suddenly popping questions at them while the game was in progress. One afternoon he turned to a fourth-team substitute who had played the role of human tackling dummy in practice all season and demanded of him, “What would you do if we had possession of the ball, one minute to play, the score tied, and we had only four yards to go for a touchdown?” The substitute stammered, “I guess I’d move down to the end of the bench so I could see better.”

It is tragic but true that most American’s are only “bench-warmers” in the business of American political life. Most of both political parties are only institutional “couch potatoes.” The only difference is that some have gotten into position for a better view than others. And now, they can’t understand why the whole country is going down the toilet.

Perhaps the greatest ongoing battle being fought on earth today is the battle for truth. The battle rages on many fronts and under many banners. For a Christian, the battle is simplified. The issue is the truth of God pitted against all the ideologies, philosophies and world-views that oppose it. Yes Ethel, both political parties oppose truth, adamantly and aggressively. You see, nothing is more infuriating to the natural human mind than the fact of the extreme narrowness of truth. Contrary to the popular teachings of the communist/socialist movement in our public schools, there is such a thing as absolute right and wrong. Many of the opposing views are formidable and mouthed fervently by militants, which increases the necessity of someone being fully armed with apologetic skill and love. For Christians we are to “speak the truth in love,” the Bible says. This is not an easy assignment for anyone today.

If I, a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) make the public observations about the high illegitimate birth rate of the black community, as Bill Cosby does, I’m branded a racist. If I comment that the immigration laws of our nation need to be obeyed, I’m accused of hating Latinos. In either case, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s not really me that is being rejected, it’s the truth I am speaking. But speak this truth we must if we really love and care about people. After all, regardless of their ethnic origins they are all God‘s creation.

In summation, truth is not variable and should not be flexible to any honest American, regardless of race, creed, color or political party. Someone said, “We live in an age that grants “plausibility” to every idea and “certainty” to none.” But God’s truth is absolute, not relative, whatever the secular mind may think and the secular mouth may argue. Our society must stop granting credibility to the absurd. “Wrong is still wrong, even if everybody is doing it; and right is still right even if nobody does believe it!” And truth is not negotiable in that no price will entice the truly honest person to sell out the truth.

This brings us to a couple of questions. “What are your moral values about lies, sex outside of marriage, stealing, etc.?” “What is you authority for these values, where did you get them?” “Have you ever sat down and questioned your way through these values to see if they have any foundation in reality?” “What are you doing, starting with yourself, to make a difference in the world?” “Are you all consumed with pleasing yourself?” The Bible says in Proverbs 23:23; “Buy the truth and sell it not.” Jesus tells us in John 8:32 that the truth will set us free. Are you doing something to make a difference in this world, or have you simply moved to where you have a better view?

Have a great memorial day week-end. Good people gave their life that you may enjoy life!