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He did what was right, but…
By Marc | May 21, 2008
If you’ve ever read through 1 and 2 Kings, a really common theme shows itself: either the rulers did what was right, did evil, or did what was right with a “however” attached. When Julie and I had read it together, we had high hopes and they were shattered every time we read, “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord”, cheered at the good ones, and groaned at the third.
These were kings of Israel and Judah, men with power and influence. They weren’t like presidents today; their will was put into action. When they do evil, they cause everyone else to do evil, and when they do good, they influence others to follow their examples.
But when there is a “however”, things get sticky. Things may have been good in their own lives and in most things, but they were letting evil through the cracks. They allowed the people to keep up their pagan ways, probably either to keep them happy or out of lack of caring. Maybe they thought, “Well, I’m doing the right things enough.”
It’s almost like getting by on a technicality, having a plus sign with an asterisk next to it.
In our own lives, we might not have the power of kings, but we do have influence over some things. As parents, we have influence over our children. If you’re a child, you might be able to change the hearts of your parents. You may have a position of authority or at least a voice to affect authority. In most cases, unless you have no control, something can be done. Apathy doesn’t have to win out.
If I see something wrong, I could sit by and say to myself, “What could I possibly do? That’s just the way things are.” Even if I can’t change it, I can do my best to make sure that my family doesn’t do wrong also. Sometimes evil is done not by what we do, but by what we don’t do.
An example: Broadcast television has become more and more lenient on what they will show. Language, violence, gore, and sexual situations that would never even be considered twenty years ago are the norm. Also, cartoons designed for kids are some that make me, as an adult, uncomfortable. That last bit was my personal opinion, but there is no denying the rest of it: broadcasters and the sensors allow more and more intense things to slip by as time goes on.
As a parent, I could either say, “It’s television, what are you going to do? There’s nothing else on.” I can monitor what my children watch. I can control how much they watch. I can put in videos that I know are suitable for children. I can also simply turn off the television and get them occupied with some other activity.
Change is not affected by the idle and the apathetic. It is done by those who make a stand.
If you see something wrong, if you can change it, do it. But if you can’t (or can’t find someone willing to) and the wrong continues to perpetuate, you always have the choice to simply walk away. If more and more people walk away, then maybe things can get changed that way as well.
I realize that in some situations, evil just simply wins the battle. A weaker person can’t always win out over the stronger. Otherwise, rape, abuse, and other atrocities would never occur.
Change what you can, influence who you can, and don’t let what is wrong create coldness and apathy. And next to your name in the history book of all time, try not to get an asterisk after your plus sign.
Topics: Life and Living |
