Did It Help?

Other than the 'team players' who root for their candidate under any and all circumstances, I find that many have no idea which presidential candidate to vote for and in fact would prefer another choice entirely. Seems very much like something I wrote four years ago, but that continues to be a conundrum for us. We have the privilege of voting for our leader, but don't like the choices offered to us for one reason or many reasons. Last night, we had the first of the debates between only two of the candidates. Kind of unfair to the many others who might wish to have an opportunity to be the next president of this nation, but there is this debate committee that apparently makes this decision for us little people. I guess the question this morning is: did it help? Do you now have a clear-cut favorite to exercise your right to vote? Debates sometimes help us to decide, at other times a debate doesn't convince anyone.

Jesus debated with the Pharisees, and won the debates every time. Yet, the Bible records few, perhaps as many as two, of the religious leaders and pharisees believing that Jesus was indeed the looked for Christ. Paul debated with the Greek scholars, but we don't know if any of them came to believe in Christ Jesus. No doubt some of us have engaged in debates with those who do not believe in Christ and felt the sting of watching them walk away unconvinced. We may have engaged in debates with our brothers and sisters in Christ too, and not convinced anyone to our point of view. Some debates may plant a seed where it needs to be sown, and other debates may be best ended or not started at all. If Jesus couldn't convince someone to believe, then I certainly am not going to break through the barrier of unbelief by my persuasive arguments and superior knowledge (if any such thing exists). What I can do is testify to what Jesus has done for me.

Where my formal arguments, knowledge, fanaticism, or whatever the world may call it, does not convince, my testimony may plant a seed that no force in the world can argue down. The Spirit has led me to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, and on Christ I stand. You and I may never convince anyone of anything other than that we do believe in Christ. In the dark of the night when fear mounts and worry overshadows, that unconvinced unbeliever may think back and wonder, "Why does he believe?" The unbeliever may have 'won' the argument by all measures the world uses, but the seed may begin to grow. The same Holy Spirit who convinced you and me will begin to work on the seeds we planted and something wonderful may sprout in ground that appeared hardened, armored, well-defended, and all but impossible to break through. Did that debate about Christ begun in love end well? Perhaps not, but nothing done in love is wasted. We may walk away feeling the sting of the world's scorn, but...our shining light may have broken through the clouds of doubt and fear.

Bucky