When I visualize the term deny, I can see an NBA center swatting away a lay up from a penetrating guard. Or I picture a stout NFL defense stopping an elite running back on a fourth and goal from the 1 yard line. However, never would I have imagined volunteers from Alabama sent to help turn on the power to the powerless after Hurricane Sandy be denied by unions in New Jersey and New York.
Maybe these workers were fearful of lost hours, yet with all the helpless victims searching for food and progress, there are ample utility poles to raise and restore. Galatians 6:9 calls believers to not become weary in doing good. I guess even if you drive over 1,000 miles, filling up with gas along the way, you shouldn’t let a few cronies prevent you from serving others in the future, even on your way home. The apostle Paul knew that severe circumstances often bring out the worst in others, influenced by unseen forces, Ephesians 6:12.
In reality, everyone get’s denied from time to time. Some may get denied a chance to prove their innocence, others may be stopped from achieving a life long dream and those living outside the United States are kept from truly understanding freedom. The question is not have you been denied lately; it is how will you respond the next time you are denied? Don’t give up, quit or sulk! Rather, take a proactive approaching by living out Philippians 4:8-9.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 