Passive versus Aggressive

This last week I had an opportunity to either go passive or to become aggressive with a situation. Now to be quite honest, I tend to follow after father Adam's nature of passivity more often than Jesus' nature of aggression. Let me explain what I mean.

When the serpent beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden, where was Adam? Right there with her. (Genesis 3:6) He had been given the charge by God to tend the Garden. He named all of the animals. I'm pretty sure he knew that a talking serpent wasn't quite right, and yet he did nothing.

Men all down the ages have blamed Eve for listening to the serpent and getting us kicked out of paradise, but if you really look at scripture the sin that got us kicked out was the sin of being passive. Adam did nothing when his wife was messing with the one thing that God had told them to leave alone.

Now look at Jesus in the Garden the night He was betrayed. There he was on His knees in prayer, the Bible states that He was praying so hard that droplets of blood fell from His forhead. He prays, "Father if it be possible, let this cup pass by me, but nevertheless not what I will, but Thy will be done."

You see Jesus had the opportunity to go passive, to tuck tail and run so to speak, but He didn't. He got aggressive and saw His responsibility through to the end. And because of that, humanity is able to become saved (John 3:16 / Romans 10:9-10) and get back into fellowship with the Father.

Now back to my story. I had this opportunity, and this time I chose to fight. To stand up to what I saw as an irrational request that should be challenged, and I did so. I have yet to hear anything back from my challenge, and it may never come. I think really it was a test to see if in fact I would stand up and do what was right. I'm glad to say that I did, and that something inside of me felt triumphant afterwards.

It felt good to not let passivity win this time, and hopefully next time I will be a little bit stronger and more able to become aggressive when needed. Strength and honor....