Today I was reading The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker, and I identified with the following story: General Marshall during World War II insisted that a general officer be immediately relieved if found less than outstanding. Marshall flatly refused to listen to the argument: "But we have no replacement." "All that matters," he pointed out, "is that you know that this man is not equal to the task. Where his replacement comes from is the next question." Sometimes we are scared to do the right thing because of the potential consequences. For example, I once had a belligerent teenager serving in our worship arts department when I was a youth pastor in Maryland. After I warned him several times and he still didn't listen, I decided he needed to be let go. But I was scared to do what was right because I didn't know who would replace him. But I concluded (as General Marshall did) that this man was not equal to the task. Where his replacement would come from was the next question. It's scary to do the right thing sometimes, but I have learned that when we do what is right, God honors us, and helps things to work out. If you honor God with your finances, how will you make ends meet? If you take one day a week for a Sabbath's day rest, how will you get done all that needs to get done? If you stand up for what's right at work and get fired, how will you go about getting a new job? These are all the wrong questions. The right question is "What is the right thing to do in this situation?" Once you've determined the right course to take, you act, and leave the rest to God. That's what I did, and let me tell you that God provided us with a new (and much more qualified) volunteer, who served in that role for about three years, and did so with a great attitude. I wonder what I would've missed out on had I decided to let the consequences scare me out of doing what I knew was right. I wonder what you're missing out on right now if you haven't acted on something you know is the right thing to do because you are scared of the consequences. Take one step at a time, and watch what God will do.
