"'Don't shed any blood.
Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness,
but don't lay a hand on him.'
Reuben said this to rescue him from them
and take him back to his father.
So when Joseph came to his brothers,
they stripped him of his robe--
the ornate robe he was wearing--
and they took him and threw him into the cistern.
Genesis 37:22-24a
She noticed something was off but couldn't put her finger on it. Looking at the clock, she groaned as the time seemed to mock her, "Three o'clock" the timepiece glowed. Only two hours and she'd have to get up. Better go back to sleep, she thought to herself. Still, there was something wrong, she could feel it.
Reluctantly, this woman rose up out of bed and peered out the window. What she saw brought her fully awake: an unfamiliar pick-up truck was backed up to her neighbor's house while men seemed to be helping themselves to the vacationing family's possessions. Quickly she called 9-1-1 and soon the authorities were on the scene, making an arrest.
The example set by this citizen was used at our community's crime watch meeting to remind residents the importance of keeping an eye out for our neighbors. One phone call can save a life, help catch a criminal and make a difference. In the same way, when I sense God's Spirit prodding me to do something to help another, but fail to take action, there will be consequences.
Others suffer when I fail to speak up on behalf of the weak, take steps to protect a victim, or put my faith into action by sticking my neck out to help one who is at the end of her rope. There is a danger to standing silent.
Backfire
Abram was a man who trusted God enough to pack up all his belongings and move away from his extended family in order to obey the call of the Lord. He did more than just give lip service to his faith; he put it into action. When it came to his wife, however, his faith wavered. What if a man of influence is taken by her beauty and kills me in order to have her as his own? he worried. So, instead of trusting God to protect them, Abram came up with his own plan. He called his own beloved his sister in order to spare his own life. (Genesis 12:10-13)
While this may have made sense to him at the time, the scheme ended up backfiring. The Egyptians were indeed overwhelmed with the beauty of Sarai, but the Pharaoh himself claimed her as his own. While she lived in his palace, though, the entire household suffered as God brought down terrible plagues upon their heads. As a result, Abram brought out the anger of the leader of the most powerful nation in the region: Not exactly a great plan! (Genesis 12:17-20)
While things turned out alright in the end for Abram and Sarai, there must have been some sleepless nights while his soul-mate slept under the roof of another man and he wondered if he'd ever see his wife again. Instead of trying to take the easy way out, then, I can learn from Abram's life that God's way is always best. Only He can see the outcome and knows what is truly needed.
Therefore, I can follow His lead, taking a stand when He convicts me to do so. Instead of waiting to take action when I know in my heart of hearts that a neighbor is abusing his child, I can make the call that could save her young life. While I may tell myself it's none of my business, the wife who confides in me about her husband's cruel and heavy-handed ways is making it my affair. It may be easy to look the other way when a gang of thugs descends upon a homeless man, but the God whose Spirit fills my being will not let me rest until I take a stand.
If I fail to act in each of these instances, I am sowing seeds of indifference. And I should never be fooled into thinking that I will reap abundance when I've been so stingy. (Galatians 6:7-9)
When I know something is wrong yet don't speak up, my own lack of action will come back around to haunt me.
Tragedy
It seemed he had not followed through on a command to circumcise his sons. Instead, he went forward in obedience to God's call to travel to Egypt and confront the Pharaoh, but he failed to do as he was told in the area of circumcision. As a result, Moses nearly lost his life at the hand of God before he even started his mission. (Exodus 4:24-26)
While it is easy to ignore the commands I don't understand or am reluctant to carry out, my inaction or procrastination could have costly consequences. Failing to dispose of a violent video game, for example, may result in the corruption of a child's heart that could taint the whole course of his life.
As difficult as it is to take a stand as a leader against foul language and harassment in the workplace, my inaction could precipitate an employee taking matters into her own hands in a fit of frustration.
Similarly, there are times when I don't want to rock the boat, but speaking up in defense of the defenseless could end up saving a precious life.
When I know something is wrong yet don't speak up, my own lack of action could end in tragedy.
Spread Wide
He stood by, wringing his hands and pleading with his sons to do the right thing. "Stop stealing form the Lord's sacrifices! I have heard how you take the best for yourselves. I also demand that you cease your shameful seduction of the young women of God who come here to serve Him. Stop, for your own sake if not for mine!" (Paraphrased from 1 Samuel 2) Instead of heeding the warnings from their father, however, the wayward sons kept at their corrupt activities.
While Eli did warn his boys, he did not take any action to make sure they didn't defile the Lord's temple in such appalling ways. In this way, he was holding his own relationship with his offspring as more important than his connection to the Lord, making his children more valuable than God himself. Therefore, not only did God remove Eli's family from the priestly line, but He also promised that every member of his family would live a short life of great suffering. Even more, each one would watch in envy as all of Israel prospered without them. (1 Samuel 2:30-34)
Eli's inaction had widespread consequences. In the same way, I must be careful to think that I'll only hurt myself if I stand by in silence. Failing to act when I know there is a right thing to do always affects more than just me. Instead, I would be wise to do what needs to be done for the sake of those around me.
When I know something is wrong yet I don't speak up, my own lack of action could have widespread consequences.
There is no doubt that standing up and doing the right thing takes conviction and courage. Standing by silently, while seemingly easier, carries with it a great cost. Sometimes my own plan backfires, tragedy occurs, or the affect of my inaction is widespread. Whatever the cost, however, of one thing I can be sure: there is danger in doing nothing.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can draw courage from a God who is willing to give me all the power I need to protect those who can't protect themselves.
When do I fail to act because I think it won't matter?
Are there times in my life when I've caused suffering because of my inaction?
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