Perilous Times Call For Bold and Courageous Men
Conviction . . . Courage . . . Moral Duty . . . Leadership . . . these are all qualities we admire among men who stood up to the plate in dire situations. Conviction is Martin Luther’s stance against the idolatrous Roman Catholic Church and his willingness to take on seemingly the entire world for the truth of Christ. Courage is Winston Churchill standing up to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime by never giving up when the odds were against him. Moral Duty is exemplified by the Apostle Paul’s willingness to go to jail for proclaiming Christ and living faithfully for Him. Leadership is personified in the Founding Fathers of America standing up to the tyranny of Great Britain and fighting for freedom.
The bottom line is that when the hour is dark and the time is short, we need men who are bold and courageous. We admire men like Luther and Churchill for having the audacity to look their peers in their eyes and tell them they were wrong and go forward living out the truth. This character is needed in our day. Truth be told, it is needed desperately. We do not need politically correct men who fold under pressure, we need men who stand firm when the attack comes.
Don’t Lack Consistency
Fascinatingly, far too often we see the opposite of courage. Instead of standing for what is good, true, and beautiful, many leaders bow to the lies of false beliefs. This type of leadership was exemplified by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Governor Hutchinson had a bill come to his desk banning doctors from giving treatments to minors who want to “transition” from one gender to another.1 The main thrust of the Governor’s argument is he wants to urge a limited government and so he cannot ban such treatments. I agree with the principle of limited government, however, I disagree with the Governor’s overall opinion. According to the Governor’s logic, a doctor, parents, and adults in Arkansas cannot have sex with a minor, but they can provide “sex reassignment surgery.” So, the government should protect the minor from being taken advantage of sexually by adults even if the minor consents. But, those same adults can mutilate the bodies of minors if the minor wishes and the parents give their permission.
I chose this situation because it is quite a unique circumstance. What makes it special? Well, the Governor is a professing Christian and claims conservative values. Truth be told, I don’t believe Governor Hutchinson is a radical leftist, but I do believe his actions support the radical left in this instance. Putting it plainly, I don’t believe the Governor wants to full-on endorse the LGBTQ revolution. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago he signed a bill banning men from competing in women’s sports, a decision for which I applaud him, but the LGBTQ community attacked him for this action. It seems as though he is lacking much consistency in this realm and I would urge him to think through how to apply his Christian beliefs more consistently. Respectfully, I would pose to the Governor that it is his duty to protect human rights since that is the purpose for which God ordained government. The rights of minors are being infringed upon in this circumstance, and the Governor did not take the action he should have. Fortunately, the Arkansas State Legislature overrode the Governor’s veto.
Take Heed Lest You Fall
It is easy for you and I to criticize Governor Hutchinson, he is an official elected by the public and it is fair for that public to critique his leadership. However, I want to turn the tables around and ask us to evaluate our own lives as well. Do we exhibit courage or do we buckle and lack consistency when the going gets tough? God said this to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).” We should live with great courage because we know God and we have the Holy Spirit living in us. We have been bought by Christ and should therefore stand for the truth and proclaim the truth. Christ said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”
We need to stand for what is true and good as defined by God because our Lord has overcome. Bowing the knee to the world is not an option for the Christian because it has already been bowed before King Jesus. Allegiance to the world is not possible to synthesize with allegiance to Christ. You either serve one or the other but not both. Every one of us need to examine our lives and see where we can live more passionately with courage for the truth. Let us pattern ourselves after the biblical commands and learn from the failure of men like Governor Hutchinson. I pray we will live with courage and not cower by being intimidated.
Sources
1 You can read the story and Governor Hutchinson’s thoughts here:
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