Just a quick thought in regards to the recent Chick-fil-A brouhaha.  Tell me what you think:

We, as adults, spend an enormous amount of time trying to convince our children, from the earliest ages through their teen-age years, to be themselves, to stand for their convictions, and not to bow to peer pressure.  Consider that much of our "adult" advice to teens facing pressure to have sex or to do drugs is to stand against the stream and not just do what their friends are doing.  What parent among us hasn't said something like, "Well, if all your friends decided to jump off of a cliff, would you?"  A myriad of books and pamphlets have been printed preaching just this message.

So, now we have a company run, not by children, but by adults who have taken a stand for what they believe.  Where are the calls now from other adults to "be yourself," or to "do what you think is right?"  No, the pressure from other adults is to "go with the flow" and to believe what everyone else believes.  So, apparently when we are children we are supposed to stand for what we believe to be right, but as adults you'd better not stand up for what you think is right?

Regardless of your take on Chick-fil-A's stance on the family (and I recognize not all of you will agree with me), when you walk into their restaurant, you will be treated with the utmost respect.  My family and I have eaten at almost every fast food chain available in our area multiple times, and the service that you get at Chick-fil-A is so much more sincere and pervasive.  What other chain has somebody walking around the restaurant taking your trash from your table after you finish or "refreshing" your drinks for you?  I have never seen their bathrooms unclean.  And for some reason it is always their "pleasure" to serve you when you say thanks.

So, at the very least if you disagree with Chick-fil-A, don't eat their chicken.  Go to McDonald's.  You'll get decent food, but you'll get a level of service that is now markedly sub par in comparison.  Better yet, if you think that Chick-fil-A should bow to societal pressure to "go along with the flow" on marriage and family and not to stand for what they think is right, then whenever you encounter a teenager, at least be consistent and tell them to do what everyone else is doing.

A Sword & Shield

This blog is dedicated to thinking carefully and learning more about our Christian convictions.  When we develop our minds to the glory of God, we become more complete disciples (Matthew 22:37).  By encouraging our ability to think and learn, we are served in at least two ways.  First, we grow the tools that we need to defend our convictions when they are questioned.  We need not feel threatened when the attacks come.  Good responses are out there, and we can do the work of discovering what they are.  This process of learning provides us with a shield to protect us from offensive arguments from our culture. 

Secondly, by developing our minds we also learn confidence that we know the truth, that what we believe corresponds to reality.  This confidence, then, allows us to take what we know out into our culture in the same way that a sword was used as an offensive weapon in ancient battles.

Don't go out into battle unarmed. Train your mind to enter into service of our Lord.

So a sword and shield. Offense and defense. Useful to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)."