NailDriven †

I read in Matthew 27 today about Pilate. Here is a guy who is in charge, who has the power to make decisions, and who can easily see that Jesus is innocent and didn’t deserve the death penalty…but he chokes…when the time comes he doesn’t make the right decision, he “washes his hands” of it all and allows the Jews to kill Jesus.

It reminded me of another man, long before Pilate…a man named Adam - when Eve was tempted by the serpent we know that Adam was “with her”. He watched as she took the forbidden fruit and ate it, he didn’t stop her, didn’t offer her direction or support or correction, he was passive, he didn’t lead, he just…let it happen.

Too often I see this in my own life, in me and in others around me. It’s easier to just let life happen vs. causing a wave of truth. It’s easier to ignore the sin in your or others life to maintain the balance, peace, or friendship…but is that good? Is that what we are called to or is that just following our forefather Adam and letting sin enter the world and specifically into our and others lives?

I hear these types of messages from Christians, from non-Christians, from family, friends, and neighbors. I see this played over and over on TV & Movies:

• It’s their life, I don’t want to be a bother
• Let them live how they want to live, as long as it doesn’t effect me
• It’s his/her body, they can do with it what they please

It’s the whole “can’t we all just get along” mindset. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible tells us to try and live at peace with others (at least other Christians) so being kind, and peaceful is a good thing, but we shouldn’t compromise that by allowing sin in our own or others lives.

I believe that this passiveness is strangling our strength, our character, our marriages, our families, and our lives. It’s a sin characteristic that is passed down from generation to generation, it seems to be built into our flesh, a part of who we are and that gets exponentially worse when we grow up in certain environments and around certain people. Passiveness is something that will destroy your walk, your marriage, your family, your children and your life. Of course swinging too far the other way is controlling and I think that the enemy just loves that we have to walk the line in-between being passive and controlling if we are going to live effective, happy, and dedicated lives for Jesus Christ!

Be encouraged today to pray and think about what in your life you are being passive about. Is it something you need to change? Something you need to speak truth in love to someone else? Is it how you parent your children? Don’t just let life keep going down a wider and wider path of destruction, stand in the way and make a good, honest, Biblical & Godly stand for what is right in your life and the lives of others!

(jp)