The Royal Runaround

Have you ever been given the runaround? Have you ever been passed from one customer service agent to another with no one willing or able to satisfy your question? That happened to me just recently. I called one of our suppliers to get an answer to what I thought was a simple question, only to be transferred from one agent to another with what appeared to me to be a strategy to wear me down. By the time I talked to the fifth customer service agent, I must admit it was a struggle for me to act like a Christian. With each minute on hold, I grew more impatient and thought of more things I could say – none of which would have led people to Christ.

Can you imagine what Jesus was going through at the hands of these religious and political leaders? I love the way Jesus responded. Instead of allowing their taunting and abuse to cause him to get angry and retaliate, he acted as if he hardly heard them. As if he was preoccupied by something else. As if he was having a secret conversation in his head with his father, God.

The Scriptures here in Luke cause me to pause and wonder how I would react in similar circumstances if, during these situations, I too was having secret conversations with God. What if my spirit was so attuned to God’s spirit that the circumstances around me seemed almost trivial? Instead of feeling a need to defend myself or to set the record straight, I could simply speak truth and let God’s Spirit manage the circumstances.

This may sound a bit super spiritual, but as I look at Jesus, something inside of me says that’s a good example to follow.

Respond in Prayer

Dear Lord, forgive me for my impatience. Help me to be so tuned in to the frequency of your Holy Spirit that your voice becomes the dominant voice in my mind.

Barry Slauenwhite