The Frog And Morality

We live in an age of moral relativism, and while this in not a new historical phenomenon it is a much more widespread one over the planet.  We embrace the idea of “you do your thing and I’ll do mine” to the point that we often don’t see actual right from wrong.  Sadly, having the strength to stand up for our values has become the subject of ridicule and violent disagreement.

I remember a science experiment in college where a professor told us that if you try to cook a frog by putting it in boiling water, it will just jump out, but if you put it in water and slowly raise the temperature with the burner, you will cook the frog.  Our moral decline is much like that frog, and standing up for our values in the face of ridicule is something we need to do with confidence.  Morality is the heart of our problem in this country, whether it is how we view material wealth, family integrity, financial responsibility, sex, violence or whatever problem you wish to analyze.  Unfortunately, we are no longer interested, in society as a whole, in discussing morality.  We tend to try and solve our problems with a new law or funding some kind of program.  It’s a lot like trying to fix a worn out car engine by re-painting the car.

The core of our morality is our faith, and living that out in our daily lives for Jesus can do enormous good wherever we have been placed in this world to shine that light.  Remember my example of the candle in the dark mineshaft?  I still think of that tiny light and how in that complete darkness it seemed I was beholding a floodlight.  Don’t ever doubt the effectiveness of living your witness.  Gideon was one who doubted that God could use him (and was with him) in battling the decaying morality of his time.  God gives him a sign and tells him to stand up to the immoral prophets of Baal, and what does he do…he fearfully sneaks out at night to tear down their altar.  God tells him to do battle and deliver Israel, and what does Gideon do…he doubts and seeks more signs and proof with his little fleece weather station test (is it wet when it shouldn’t be, is it dry when it shouldn’t be?)  Gideon is afraid to stand up for God’s word.  I can imagine how Gideon felt when God told him to pare down his army to just 300 men to use to face thousands.  But yet Gideon’s few did stand up and were victorious.

When we stand, even alone, the world around us will take notice.  We may not have an audience of millions nor an army of thousands to back us up, but what we do have is truth, and our job is to use that truth to change the world.