Craig Clouston

When Do We Take A Stand?

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.

Luke 6:29

Tears filled Lindsay’s eyes as she reflected over the years of hard work, studying endless hours, even going without sleep on many occasions, striving to do her best scholastically. She’d had her heart set on entrance into the National Honor Society in her junior year of High School. Now it appeared her goal would be unattained.

Staring at the list of NHS inductees hanging loosely in her hand, she wondered aloud, “I’ve carried a 4.0 GPA through ten and a half years of school and done everything that was asked and required of me. Not to mention doing it all while lettering in three sports. How can they pass me over?”

Her parents felt pretty much as she did…it just didn’t seem right…or fair. Could someone have made a mistake? Did they somehow miss adding their daughter to the list?

“Maybe there’s been a mistake,” Dad said. “Let’s pray about it and ask God to sort it out.” The three held hands and asked God to resolve what to them felt like a slap in the face.

When they finished, Mom said, “I’ll call the school and ask Mr. Holmes about it.”

His response was one of genuine surprise. “I’m not sure why she’s not on the list. But she certainly belongs on it, and I’ll resolve that oversight right now,” he said with finality.

†

In light of today’s text, should we always turn the other cheek? Not necessarily. But knowing when to take a stand can be difficult. Because we surely don’t want to act in opposition to God’s word.

A good starting point might be to understand that not everything that happens to us is God’s will. We should always inquire of the Lord to see if turning the other cheek is what He wants us to do.

There had been an oversight in Lindsay’s case. Had she prematurely turned the other cheek she wouldn’t have found out the oversight wasn’t intentional, and she would have been excluded by reason of accidental omission.

Only by seeking God’s direction can we know how to respond to that first slap.

Prayer

“Teach me to recognize the difference between willful submission and unnecessary slaughter, Lord. And help me do so with grace and humility. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”