Not sure if you saw the
story but it's rather remarkable. But AutoZone worker in Virginia slips out of
store after a gunman walks in and threatened the life of his manager. He goes to his vehicle, where he retrieves a
registered handgun to him. He proceeds
to go inside the building and he runs off the gunman, saving the store and the manager’s
life.
This man an employee did
the right thing. He did what I hope I
would have done. He did what any one of
us should have done; protect the lives
of the innocent. I say he's a
hero. However, the corporate office at
AutoZone does not agree. They fired this
employee because they have a strict no handgun policy. Take a look at this interview:
There many times that heroes
find themselves hurt. You know what
really gets me is that we now live in a culture that will elevate policies over
people. We care more about what is written
on paper than we do about the person that the policy is meant to protect. I understand the need for policies. I can
appreciate the need for policies. But
when a person's life is in danger because some idiot is trying to rob and
threaten the life of other people the reaction of this corporate office just
doesn't make sense to me.
Listening to this news report kind of reminded
me of a biblical character up and studying lately. His name is Joseph. Joseph was knocked down again and again. Do
you think he ever thought, “what in the world is going on?” By the time
we read about him in Genesis 39 I have to believe he is asked maybe just once: “what
is going on here?” He stood for right and was knocked down again and
again! Can anyone reading this identify with Joseph? Back in
Chapter 37 he takes a stand for what is Godly and his brothers hate him for it.
They cannot stand him. They cannot speak to him. They loathe him.
His father says to go out and check on your brothers, for he is concerned
for them. Joseph in obedience sets out to check on his
brothers. As he finds them they
turn on him and throw him into a pit and they sell him into slavery. He is just
being obedient to what his father asked of him. But consider what
happened. He was abounded and left alone.
He was sold as a slave. When he arrives at Potiphar’s house. He rises above several obstacles. First,
there is the loneliness. Can you imagine how incredible lonely he must have
felt? On top of the loneliness, Joseph
overcomes the disadvantage of the language and culture barriers that he faces. There
were several obstacles that Joseph faced in making the transition to
Egypt. He did so with integrity,
godliness, and a very good attitude.
Potiphar learns to trust him and in fact gives him control and influence over
everything he has.
It is in those moments that Potiphar’s wife
approaches him and propositions him to do something immoral and this young man
stands with conviction and Integrity and with morals and he resist this great
temptation, but she falsely accuses him. In the moment when Joseph did
right, everyone in the house of Potiphar, including Potiphar turns on
him.
All of us have done things that were right and
yet others have turned on us. This happens to Joseph in crazy proportions.
Many of us have acted in the right kind of way and we have tried to do
what was godly and Biblical and Christ like and then someone turns on us
causing us to suffer because of it.
A lot of times Christians become confused and
even angry at God. Many times people become so jaded that they almost
give up on God and his church. They drop out of church and Bible studies
and sulk in bitterness. In their
hurt and confusion their hearts become hard and they virtually want to have
nothing to do with God. Not so with Joseph!
He is a man of amazing disposition. Joseph
really is a hero. He found himself in
the midst of hurt. Yet, he did not get
mad or angry with God, nor did he pout.
He did not he wash his hands of God or God’s ways, but simply trusted
God through everything. I want you to encourage you to read
Genesis chapter 39, and ask God to help you respond godly in ungodly circumstances. Ask God to help you see how to respond to
unjust, and undeserved circumstances.
As for the former AutoZone worker, I do not know
if he is a Christian. However, I do
think he's a hero, and also think there's a lesson to be learned there for us
all.
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