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Thursday, February 3, 2011

BERNARD’S CHOICE

BERNARD’S CHOICE
My friend Bernard stood up to declare the goodness of God that Wednesday night. There were a few  supplicants huddled in the  vacant pews of the church. Not unusual in midweek prayer meetings, since Christianity is a alive only on Sundays but on a Wednesday like this, hardly anyone wants to go to church much less  pray. I came late from the office, the wind was biting cold, the heavy rains early in the day had turned to drizzle,   the  dark mood of the night added to the gloom.  I sat away from the  supplicants wearing a weary face strained by the day’s  burden and closed my eyes.   They were singing. Then the liturgist called out if anyone would care to share what has been going with  his life for which he could be thankful to God.  I opened my eyes.  That was when my friend Bernard stood up. I didn’t see him until he stood and purposely strode to the rostrum, cleared his voice and spoke.
Bernard is a Christian who is zealous in his obedience to Christ. He works in a private company as a Manager, who serves his employer faithfully and well.  He shows his faith in Christ in the workplace. He is different because he doesn’t join in the nights out,  drinking binges  and nocturnal fun which most of his colleagues are prone to do.  A husband to only one wife, he fears God. He is also the most ridiculed among his peers.
Bernard spoke. He said an interesting thing happened to him a couple of days past. His employer summoned him quick.  So he hastened to see his Boss. His Boss explained that he was being relieved and transferred to manage the motel operations of the company. His salary would be four times over than his current. He was expected to make the business profitable.
Bernard didn’t know if this was a blessing or a testing so to speak. He said he has no problem if he were to run a decent  Hotel or Lodging operation, for this would not go against his Christian conviction. But what he is being asked  to do is run a motel operation which has already acquired a seedy, seamy  reputation where prostitution, immorality  or even illicit acts would abound.  He said he struggled to make a decision. He said it would have been easy to rationalize and justify taking the offer. In the worldview of moral relativism this is no big deal.  A job is a job, who cares?  He and his wife prayed and asked for the Lord’s leading. At the end of the day with hard prayer Bernard said everything became clear. The heavy pall had lifted and he felt peace. He rejected the offer and  resigned.  Bernard said God is  good.   God sustained him in this moral dilemma upholding him despite the uncertainty that awaits him and his family. He said he is now unemployed, and yet, he trusts God to work out everything for his good.
I was deeply moved by Bernard’s conviction. I asked myself if this had happened to me could I bear to stand where Bernard now stands, unyielding, faithful and obedient to the cause of Christ? Could I bear to confront sin as sin and make the choice of not offending God regardless of the consequences?
The Psalmist David once declared, “Consider the blameless, observe the upright, there is a future for the man of peace.” (Psalm 37:37)
Flannery O’ Connor in writing what makes a Christian (writer) different, said, “ The Christian Novelist (or writer or any Christian for that matter) is distinguished from his pagan colleagues by recognizing sin as sin. According to his heritage he sees it not as sickness or an accident of environment, but as a responsible choice of offense against God which involves his eternal future. Either one is serious about salvation or one is not.”

There’s always a choice to make in this life.

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