The Whistling Vicuna

I’m a musician, a self employed worker if you will. I have to book my own performances (sales), get myself to the program (transportation), do the gig (manufacture), get the payment (collections) and keep track of income and expenses (accounting). You would think that with all those job skills I would be a pretty decent communicator. And I am, but…

    …I had been talking with a person a few weeks ago about an engagement. The person I spoke with was excited about booking me and wanted me on a monthly basis beginning in January. I quoted my fee and told her what I did and she said, “I’ll get back with you.” Not a problem as most of my first timers need time to mull it over, talk to their supervisors, etc. A week goes by and I haven’t heard back so I make the call and get the answering machine. I leave a message and wait and nothing, so I call one more time. I get an assistant and talk with her.

            “Sure,” she says. “You are coming to play.” Friends, I’ll make a long story short. It took me ten minutes and twenty questions to find out that yes, I had been booked, not just for January as the first part of the conversation sounded like, but for each month through December. I’m not complaining about getting work, but the communication left a bit if an aftertaste. Are all of my dealings with these people going to be this task intensive? Things like this make me remind me that some people don’t pay. At all. I don’t like having “write-offs” on my books any more than other companies do.

            Communication is a two way street. In retrospect, I’m very sure that I could have handled the conversation another way. Instead of trying to politely extract the information I needed, I could have been much more direct with my questions. I could have apprised the assistant of what I knew about the performances and asked if she had the knowledge I needed. But too, I knew at the end of our talk that she did indeed have the information I needed but had no idea how to impart it.

            In business dealings, relationships, friendships, any interactions at all, you need good communication skills. It can be as simple as “I liked your presentation”, or “go to Mr. Does office on the second floor and give him this folder, then come right back.” Depending on your needs you may need to be even more explicit, such as, “I liked your sales presentation. I want you to come back tomorrow and give it again to the inside sales and the shipping and receiving groups”, or “Go to Mr. Does office on the second floor, give him this folder and wait to see if he has anything for me, then come right back.”

            Oddly enough, the part of communication that causes more chaos is assumption. In each of the first two scenarios there are many opportunities for assumption. Don’t believe me? Let’s have at it. You say to a co-worker, “I liked your presentation.” He says, “Liked? I worked for hours on the numbers alone! I couldn’t sleep last night worrying that I would stutter or belch or something. I gave it my absolute best in there, and all you can say is you LIKED it. Gimme a break!”

            Hey, I threw a wrench in that one, emotions. It’s hard enough talking to people without having to deal with their feelings, but, that’s a major part of how we communicate. Emotions are the colors on our word palettes. In the employment environment, we like to say we leave emotions at home, but we don’t. We can’t, they’re a part of us. Sometimes, though, someone we have to deal with takes things too personally. Maybe today it’s your boss. “Boss, I need two more days to finish this report. There was a whole lot more information than I thought and need the extra time to get it organized.” Your boss “goes off” on you saying you are always late with work, never dependable when it counts, forever just adding to his workload, and can’t you, just this once, finish what you started.

            We’ve all been there. Boss is having a bad day. Her boss is hounding her for her reports, there’s been complaints, costs are coming in way over budget, why did I ever hire you when I had an MBA, AN MBA wanting your job! Makes you feel like a rodent and pretty soon you are looking for another job. It happens at the other end, too, from your employees. And yes, it goes both ways, you “go off” on them and they “go off” on you. It takes an immense amount of patience and understanding not to take the things that happen at the job personally.

            There are times when personalities and psychoses prohibit you from working with someone. There are times when the employment ethos changes to something you cannot live with. As a rule, though, most workplace confrontations can he headed of with some preemptive anticipation of possible trouble. Self reporting mistakes, initiating the communication, trying to be tuned in to your co-workers, employees, supervisors emotional state, knowing what sets someone off and avoiding that, are examples of preemptive anticipation. Communication is awareness of self and of others. Patience and understanding can be cultivated and nurtured. That’s the hard part.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

    Yes, how does your garden grow? Oftimes we wonder if the things we do are having any effect on those around us. Can we actually affect change in the lives of those we touch? I like to consider my sphere of influence as my garden. 

    A garden does not just happen. Many things have to take place before you can pick a single flower or eat a ripe tomato. You have to find suitable ground. You have to dig the ground and bolster it up with fertilizer. You have to know just what you are going to plant and amend the soil to the plants particular needs. You have to keep the garden weed free and pest free. You have to nurture, protect, and even love your garden and those little living things that are in it.

    Wow, it sounds like a lot of work! That is putting it mildly. Tending your garden is an every day, every way kind of thing. Each task has a purpose, each purpose a goal, each goal an end. It takes firm deliberation of mind and motion to perform those tasks. It takes DELIBERATE ACTION.

    To deliberate is to think deeply on one subject. Action is movement. Deliberate action is motion deeply thought out. It can be a simple thing such as washing clothing. Deliberate action keeps us from putting that bright red cotton sweater in with our white work shirts. It can be as difficult as flying an airplane. Deliberate action allows us to put the landing gear down when we land.

    Deliberate action is not a difficult force to put to work for you. It only requires the breaking of some old thought (or lack of thought) habits and putting into place DELIBERATE ACTION. A short pause to think before you do an easy task can make that task go well. If all of your tasks go well, you may be asked do more tasks, or “harder” tasks. Doing harder tasks increases your value to the workforce. You may even get promoted!

    Beans grow in my earthen garden. Love grows in my family garden. Satisfaction and worth grow in my work garden. Deliberate action is my shovel. How does your garden grow?

 

            The question, then, begs to be asked, “Were there any people who haven’t compromised?” And, “Are there any good reasons to NOT compromise?” Let’s look at the biblical record.

            Noah “found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen. 6:8) Noah, according to God, “was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Gen. 6:9) God commanded Noah to build an ark (from an Hebrew word, te-bah, a box) large enough to carry many animals and Noah’s family. The book of Hebrews (Heb. 11:7) states that Noah was obedient to the command of God in building the ark, becoming “heir of the righteousness which is by faith. II Peter 2:5 states that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness,” or a herald of Divine Truth. Noah not only built the ark, but warned his neighbors of the doom to come. One can only imagine the worldly taunts that Noah suffered, yet he remained resolute and uncompromising in his faith in the word of God and becomes, as I Peter 3:21 says, “ The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In other words, Noah’s experience with the ark is a picture not only of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but is also the picture of faith IN the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (the Gospel) wherein we, too, become the joint-heirs with Christ (Rom.8:17).

            (Dan. 1:8-16) Daniel “purposed in his heart” to follow the will of God. (Dan.1:8) Daniel’s faith in God and His precepts would bring him to the attention of many great men. The first of these was the prince of the eunuchs. (vs. 9) Daniel proved the LORD in his diet, refusing the king’s meat. (Vs. 10-16)

            (Vs.17-21) The next great person was king Nebuchadnezzar, in a meeting after their Babylonian education. God had blessed these children of Israel especially (vs. 9) and gave them wisdom and understanding. The Bible is very clear that God is the giver of wisdom (Ex. 28:3, the first biblical mention of “wisdom”, Ex. 31:1-5, 31:6, etc.) Solomon, especially, knew the fount of wisdom sprung from the LORD.(II Chron. 1:7-12)

            Daniel is again called by God to receive His blessing in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream. (Dan.2:1-3) The king, forgetting the dream but knowing the fear of it, calls for the sorcerers, magicians and the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans ask the king to tell them the dream so they can interpret it. (vs. 4-9)  In verses 10 and 11, the Chaldeans, like all slight-of-handers, fear for their lives when asked to do that which they truly cannot do. Only God knows what is and what will be, and only He can or will reveal it to people.  Nebuchadnezzar, of course, gets angry (vs.12-13). Oddly, the command includes Daniel and his fellows to be slain, for though they were wise men, having Godly wisdom, they didn’t appear to be present at the meeting. It was God’s providence that caused it, of course, for God had a plan to elevate Daniel and his friends to high places in the king’s government.

            Daniel asks leave to see the king then sets himself and his friends to pray for the secret of the dream. (vs.14-18) God reveals the dream to Daniel in a night vision and Daniel blesses and praises the Lord. (vs. 19-23) Daniel gives ALL glory to God as the revealer of secrets (vs.27-28) and Daniel again asserts that he has no wisdom but what is given by God. (vs.30) Daniel then tells Nebuchadnezzar what the dream was (remember, this is a couple of days after the king dreams) then tells the interpretation of it. God had told of the kingdoms coming and that “in the days of these kings,” (those of iron mixed with miry clay), “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (vs. 43) The reward to Daniel from God is that Nebuchadnezzar “made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” (vs. 48) And not just Daniel was rewarded for his uncompromising faith, his friends were too. (vs. 49) 

            In chapter 3 of Daniel, we learn of the uncompromising faith Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, commonly known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Here, Nebuchadnezzar makes an image of gold (Vs. 1) and causes the people of the land to worship it or die. (vs. 4-6) Remember that in chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar declares that the God of Daniel was God. (Dan.2:47) In an effort to regain their former glory as the king’s wise men, some of the Chaldeans came and told the king that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not worshipping the image. (vs. 8-12) Nebuchadnezzar flies into a rage and orders the three Jews into his presence to question them. Their answer to him shows the uncompromising faith they hold. As they say, “we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” They didn’t even have to think about the answer they would give, having already “purposed in their hearts”, what they would do. (vs. 13-18) Nebuchadnezzar then commands that they be killed right then. (vs. 19-23) The three men are here rewarded for their faith. Not only does God save them from the fire, He walks with them through the fire! Nebuchadnezzar is witness to this act of God and is astonied. (vs. 24-25) He calls for the three to come forth out of the fire, which they do. (vs. 26) Then, as the “princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors” gather  to witness God’s protection of the men, Nebuchadnezzar, again, praises the LORD. (vs. 28-29) The king then promotes Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in the province of Babylon.

            This particular passage illustrates both the danger of compromise and the blessing of non-compromise. Nebuchadnezzar had previously experienced the blessing of God, and was moved to proclaim God as the God of gods. However, Nebuchadnezzar was not a believer nor called or chosen of God. God used him for His purposes like He used Pharaoh, for Gods own glory. Because of his unbelief, he allows himself to be compromised by the Chaldeans to the end of slaying the Jews and then God shows His power in saving the Jews. This is a type or illustration of the tribulation to come.

 

 

            Let’s turn our attention to the New Testament. In Acts 4, we find Peter and John being arrested for doing the will of God. This was immediately after the healing of the lame man at Solomon’s porch. In Acts 3:12, Peter gives answer to the people who were witnesses of the healing. Peter goes on to express the gospel from vs.13-26, to the end of the chapter. Then, in chapter 4, the priests, captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them and “being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 4:1-2)  As the men are questioned, Peter is filled with the Holy Ghost, and gives answer to the court. (vs. 8-12)  Peter and John’s uncompromising faith not only kept them safe, but they had opportunity to witness to the Jews “rulers and elders, and scribes and Annas the high priest, and Caiphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest…” (vs. 5-6) Peter and John finally give the testament of the non-compromiser in verses 19 and 20, “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” The world will always reject not just God but the counsel of God, His word, and the Word, Jesus Christ. (vs 21)                         There are many other illustration of the blessings of uncompromising faith in the Bible. An example is Stephen and his accusers who eventually stoned him to death. Where is the blessing there you ask? Stephen is allowed to preach to the Jewish council. (Acts 6:9-15 and 7:1-53) Stephen is shown a vision of heaven (vs. 55-56) and is then received into heaven by Jesus. (vs. 59) Paul, who as Saul consented to Stephen’s death, after his salvation was uncompromising in his faith. He was used by the Holy Spirit to write fourteen of the books of the New Testament, to intensify the ministry, and outreach to the gentile nations, to have hand at starting many churches throughout the then known world, was given the gospel by Jesus Himself (Gal. 1:11-12)

 

            Modern Christians are not exempt of the blessing of God for uncompromising faith. The Sermon on the Mount tells of the blessings for faith. (Matt. 5) Jesus prayed for us that we would be justified, sanctified and glorified for God’s glory through Jesus. (John 17:18-24)  The faithful Christian is promised a crown of life, (James 1:12 Rev. 2:10) a crown of glory for being a faithful pastor, (I peter 5:3-4) a crown of righteousness to those that love His appearing, (II Timothy 4:8) a crown of rejoicing for those who would “walk worthy”, (I Thess. 2:12, 19) and an incorruptible crown for those who strive for His appearing. (I Cor. 9:23-26)

            For and ending of the lesson we’ll turn to Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary;

 Compromise noun 1 a: settlement of differences by arbitration or by   consent reached by mutual concessions

  b: something blending qualities of two different things

   2: a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial

 Compromise verb  1 obs to bind by mutual agreement

  2:  to adjust or settle by mutual concessions

   3: to expose to discredit or mischief

    vi     1 : to come to agreement by mutual concession

 2: to make a shameful or disreputable concession

 The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus;

 Compromise noun a settlement reached by mutual concession

  syn composition

  rel   golden mean, mean, middle ground, middle way;

     agreement, compact, contract, pact;

      arrangement, bargain, understanding

 Compromise verb    syn see endanger

  rel  blast, blight, mar, queer, ruin, spoil

  idiom cook one’s goose, play havoc (or hob) with,                                                    settle one’s hash

            Ideally, compromise is an agreement between to parties of mutual ethos and ethic that seeks equity of understanding or purpose. An example would be two farmers having each a field. One farmer might approach the other with a compromise. Your field, he says, is closer to my barn. My field is more productive than yours. I would like to exchange my productive field for your close field. The other farmer might say no, or, he might think to himself, I need a more productive field to feed my family which is larger than his. He is older than I and needs to work closer to his barn, so he says ‘yes.’ This is the ideal compromise. Each farmer GAINS something which will benefit him, his family, his employees, etc.

            In actuality, compromise tends to strengthen a weaker standing and weaken a stronger. An example might go thus;

            Rate evil and good on a scale of one to ten, evil being 1 and good being 10.

 _______________________________________

   evil 1          2          3            4           5          6         7         8        9        10  good

 

            Evil says to good, you are too good, and I’m too evil. Go to, let us make us a compromise. You drop two points down the scale and I’ll rise two points up the scale. Isn’t that reasonable? Good, being good, thinks, well, If I can get evil to be a little less evil, this compromise will be worth it. Ok, says Good, let’s compromise.

                    _____________________________

            evil  3            4             5             6            7           8  good

 

            Good has good intentions. His aim was to lessen the power of evil, and to that aim, felt that giving up some good power was worth it. After all, there’s still a lot of good about, all the way up to 8, and look, evil is all the way up to 3. The primary fallacy of this thought is that good goes all the way UP to 8, not down from 10, turning that negative into a ‘false’ positive.

            The secondary fallacy of this thought needs explication. Good, by nature, is good. Evil, by nature, is evil. Good will try to work with the situation of evil3/good8, and will be content, thinking that evil will be content with evil3/good8. Evil, being evil of course, will always go back to the starting point of one.

                      _____________________________________                                                                 

            evil  1           2           3           4           5           6           7           8  good

 

            It might be in the nature of good to complain that evil is cheating, but good would never think of doing such a thing and stays at 8. In fact, 8 seems to be working out pretty good. A little more freedom, a little more fun. Pretty soon evil begins complaining that good is too good still, so if I, evil, will raise two point up the scale, and you can come down the scale ONE point. That’s fair, isn’t it? two for one?        

            Compromise will always be detrimental to the compromiser. This can be applied to any situation that can be imagined. I want to sell my dollar for a dollar. If you sell me two of them, I’ll give you  a dollar and eighty cents. The compromiser always loses.

            Are there biblical illustrations of compromisers? Certainly.  From the beginning:

                        Gen. 3:4 Eve and Adam, “You won’t surely die.”

                        Gen. 29:21-30 Jacob duped (?) into marrying Leah and Rachel.

                        Gen. 34:1-31 The inhabitants of Shalem after Shechem defiled                               Dinah, Jacobs Daughter.

                        Ex. 7:10 – 12:30 The Plagues upon Egypt

            Countless, countless times throughout the biblical record compromise has proved the undoing of someone. And countless times throughout American history compromise has compromised the nation. Think of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Designed to bring an equity of free and slave states, it not only institutionalized slavery in places that didn’t necessarily want it, it eventually became a major cause of the War of Northern Aggression.

            In an April 1820 letter to John Holmes of Massachusetts, President Thomas Jefferson had this to say of the Missouri Compromise-

“…but this momentous question, like a fire bell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror. I considered it at once as the knell of the Union. It is hushed indeed for the moment, but this is a reprieve only, not a final sentence. A geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle, moral and political, once conceived and held up to the angry passions of men, will never be obliterated; and every new irritation will mark it deeper and deeper.” – believing it to be the harbinger of death for the Union of States.

            For a conclusion we can look at Judas Iscariot. The Bible does not say when he joined himself to Jesus, only that Jesus chose him with eleven others (Luke 6:13-16) to be one of the apostles, though He knew that Judas would betray Him. (John 6:64)

            Matthew 26:14-16 shows how Judas went to the chief priests, seeking to betray Jesus. Matt. 26:25 shows the lie of Judas who, knowing that the Lord could and did discern the thoughts and motives of the heart, lied anyway. Matt. 26:45-50 shows the betrayal. Matt. 27:3-10 tells of the end of Judas, but the compromise in not yet done. Matthew, 28:11-15, shows how the Jews and gentiles conspired and compromised together as they had in the death of Jesus, to deceive the people of the resurrection of Jesus.

            Compromise among fallen Man is rarely, if ever, beneficial, but that same fallen nature strives for compromise. Proverbs 6:1-2 tells the tale of compromise. “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”