3.20.2006 | "ich kann nicht anders"

How many of us have caved in the face of pressure? Peer pressure; boss pressure; societal pressure. We go along with the latest fad, we don't object when some talentless bimbo all but strips, lip-synchs, and it's called "talent." We tell the bossman "yessir, yessir, three bags full" when we know that he is wrong.

The list of our accomodations to and conformity with the world are endless. For the Protestant Christian, it is useful to reflect on these famous words attributed to Martin Luther:

Hier stehe ich, ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen

Luther had reached the end of his willingness to accomodate himself to the vanities and evils that the Catholic heirarchy had conformed themselves to. At least as Luther saw them, and, in retrospect, as history has shown them to be.

"Ich kann nicht anders." I can do no other. We need to remember these timeless words. We need to ponder, at each and every junction when we must choose to do something we ought not, or, by our silence, in effect endorse actions and things that we should not.
Many times in my career, I was faced with ethnical challenges. Many times I simply went along with what was expedient. This was before I knew Christ, and had read of the incredible boldness of Martin Luther's stand against the institutional church.

"Ich kann nicht anders," and, always, lest we forget, we must also say, "Gott helfe mir." Because I've also learned that without God's help, there's no point in even trying. With His help, we can always take our stand.

| technorati tag | Christianity|