By Johnny Commansingh
It’s all about our mindset. I wrote this article with the proviso that it is not a sermon. Moreover, this article is not structured to coerce anyone into believing anything written here. However, with the spate of murders, home invasions, rapes, kidnappings, banditry, auto theft, extortion, gun slinging, illegal drug running and the multiplicity of other illegal activities presently occurring in Trinidad and Tobago, I was inspired to highlight an adaptation from my book that I wrote way back in 2015 titled: Seven Years on Adventist Street.
I guess we all know by now that people tend to remember the negative things about other people rather than the good things. So even today, we have forgotten the real names in the story of the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. Most of us continue to refer to them as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Although the three boys were wrongfully labelled and deceitfully renamed, they understood their calling; their purpose. They held fast to what they were taught from childhood. In the first book of Peter we read: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
There is a moment between light and darkness, which we tend not to decipher. Is it that we choose not to? Being called into the light is better than remaining in darkness. By changing their names, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon thought that he could force them to change their minds, their views, their history, and their outlook on life as captives in a strange land. In other words, he wanted to convert them to make them true idolatrous Babylonians.
Mishael, Azariah, and Hananiah chose to obey God despite the consequences. By the way, what consequences? Did they entertain consequences? This is what I call commitment! On the subject of commitment, I remember a story between a little hen and a cow. The hen invited the cow to a breakfast of ‘steak and eggs.’ “I would bring the eggs,” she said. The cow replied, “I guess that I am supposed to bring the steak.” “I’d leave you to think about it,” said the hen.
When the opportunity presents itself, are we committed enough to stand our ground or cower in a corner because of what people will say? Moses, the meekest man on Earth chose to serve God rather than man. He counted it all joy to suffer affliction with the Israelites than to enjoy the dalliance with Egypt. Egypt in this sense, is used as a metaphor representative of pomp, pride, arrogance, debauchery, excessiveness, depravity, and cultural insularity. Nevertheless, some people with a certain mindset prefer everything that Egypt represents.
Instead of wallowing in the mess pot of evil and unrighteous behaviours, should we not choose to channel our God-given energy into productive service to humankind, to lift each other’s burdens, to lose ourselves in the ‘sugar,’ the simple sweetness of blessing others? Should we not choose to serve, to remain humble, to engage in right doing, and to acknowledge the fact that we have no life of our own…to know that the breath of life belongs to God? Can you remember the first day you took your first breath of air into your lungs?
Can you remember? No, you cannot! Yet you grew into someone wonderful and precious. Just think about it a little more, and you will find that you are a living miracle! You did not happen by some magic. We must recognise that we are but puny diatoms in this majestic, magnetic universe; so tiny, so apparently insignificant, yet made in His own image and likeness, infused with His life-giving breath. What a privilege we have in choosing life rather than death. Life and death is like yes and no, good and evil, all or none, no compromise.
At the very basic level, compromise is finding middle ground, negotiating, giving and taking, making a deal, bargaining. Throughout our lifetime we tend to take other people’s concerns, values, and feelings into account before we make a decision. The power to choose, to say yes or to say no is more than just an art; it is about maintaining your conviction; your mindset. Some people say that you must go with the flow. When in Rome, do as the Romans do; try not to upset the proverbial applecart. Sometimes we know that something is wrong but we tell ourselves that political correctness is all that matters. The jellyfish, no backbone attitude does not promote strength and honor. Bending to suit the whims and fancies of your peers, friends, schoolmates and colleagues negates the development of trust.
The question remains: Can people trust you when you present with fickle and capricious overtures? The “not so wrong” or “it eh so bad” mentality is not a good attribute. What does “not so wrong” mean anyway? I guess it means the same as “…you shall not surely die.” Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Is smoking or chewing tobacco evil? Is engaging in illegal drug use evil, for example, taking a pull on a marijuana joint or snorting a dram of crack cocaine? Is drinking alcohol evil? Is gambling evil?
One of my bosses told me “two beers is one too many.” Is taking just a couple dollars from the till evil? Is overeating evil? Many people rationalise that there is absolutely nothing wrong with such practices. However, we must appreciate that transition zones do not exist between what is right and what is wrong. There is a bold line of demarcation between right doing and wrong doing. Your body, all of it, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, is a temple. Do you know who designed and created that temple?
During my childhood, influencers and influences were all around me. My escape from imbibing illegal drugs and engaging in illicit activities was all about choice, sifting and winnowing the right from the wrong. How do we know how to sift? Knowing how to sift comes only as we subject our will to a higher power. It is about spiritual discernment. Listen to what King Solomon, the wisest man, said: “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” It is my opinion, that life is more spiritual than physical. In the book of first Corinthians, it says: “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.”
Solomon did not go to any Witch of Endor, any soothsayer, wizard, palm reader or obeah man/woman to find his answers and to negotiate for his people. He went to the True and Living God. It’s clear: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit…” You cannot be a ‘scorpion’ and want to follow after righteousness. Scorpions do one thing; they sting! If they find nothing else to sting, they sting themselves. How can you stop stinging yourself?
It’s difficult, but we must endeavour to stop stinging ourselves. Looking at ourselves as losers is not the solution. This is all about the big word, choice. In all of us there is a smidgen of divine DNA. We must discover that part of us to reach up. Trees in the forest compete for one thing. They must wiggle their way to find the light lest they die. In the book of Romans we see: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” The transformation will come but we must be willing to yearn for the renewing of the mind…it’s all about setting our minds (mindset) on the right track. What’s in your mind?
If what I wrote here in this article is still lacking clarity, if the words are still not plain or transparent, then the reader has a deep need; the need to order some spiritual spectacles. When people choose to do the right thing, others tend to look at them as weird, crazy or peculiar. John the Baptist surely appeared to be crazy. Maybe that’s why my mother named me ‘John.’ Be crazy about compassion, justice and equality for all humankind. Be crazy about doing what is right!
Once you discover your divine DNA you’ll understand that the Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor the leopard his spots. You will be cognizant of who you are, despite what people think you are. Choosing to walk the straight and narrow way takes backbone and sinew, but only a few find that way interesting. The book of Matthew admonishes: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.”
To complete this narrative, I leave this reminder with you. When you are in doubt about who you are, where you are, and what you are doing at any given moment, remember there is a yardstick that you can use to test and measure yourself. Just reflect on the following words: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). None of us are born winners, none one of us are born losers, but we were all born choosers. I leave you with the mandate to choose; to develop the right mindset.