Don’t Take the Bait!

    Redneck sushi.

    That’s what came to mind as I listened to a friend describe how her very cute, petite, sweet, college-aged daughter ate a raw minnow recently just to prove to a bunch of guys she would really do it. They were all fishing and the boys were doing what boys sometimes do – daring each other to become king of the “tough guy” hill.

    Feeling a need to honorably represent the women of our planet, my friend’s daughter rose up and met their minnow challenge head on. She downed that fish. Like her own personal episode of “Fear Factor.” (For those who aren’t familiar with “Fear Factor,” it’s T.V. show featuring people doing stupid, dangerous and/or disgusting stunts to win money.)

    But there was precious little reward in the minnow challenge for my friend’s daughter, other than the personal satisfaction of knowing she had as much chutzpah as her fishing buddies. As a matter of fact, it ended up costing her a couple of days of significant digestive distress. Seems Lake Greenwood might not be the best source for raw sushi (ya think?).

    You know what they say the last words of most rednecks will end up being? “Hey, y’all, watch this!”

    I find that easy to believe, but it’s certainly not how I want to go out.

    I’m discovering that one of the perks of growing older is the ability to resist when baited by dares and a wise willingness to be misunderstood, misjudged and even ridiculed for saying, “No way.”

    If you need a role model for resisting peer pressure, look at Jesus. He certainly knew how to respond wisely when folks dared Him to prove who He was.

    “Turn these stones into bread … throw Yourself off this tower and let God save You … get Yourself down off that cross.” Jesus was frequently challenged to misuse His divine power.

    His response? A calm, confident, consistent refusal to take the bait. Jesus wasn’t into showing off.

    On the contrary, the night before He was crucified, Jesus did an amazing thing, described in John 13:4-5:  “… so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”

    In that moment, God bent down and washed feet He had created. How could He humble Himself so? The answer is found in the preceding verse, John 13:3: “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God …”

    Jesus knew Who He was, where He had come from, and where He was going. Total security. Nothing to prove.

    Followers of Christ can know that, too. We can live proactively, not reacting to the cynical dares and taunts of this world, but confidently trusting, serving and loving out of a deep, inner security the world knows nothing of.

    We don’t have to live beyond our means to impress, step on others to achieve success, or compromise our beliefs to gain some fleeting, false advantage in this life.

    Think about that the next time the “redneck sushi” is being passed around. The “bait” the world offers isn’t quite so obvious or literal, but giving in to it is just as likely to make you sick … in your stomach and your soul.