But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” Judges 6:31
In our current culture, there are a few phrases that we may employ as argument-enders. If someone, for instance, in the middle of a disagreement, would accuse me of being racist or sexist, that would instantly divert the discussion in a different direction, with me defending myself for not being racist or sexist. Likewise, accusing someone of being judgmental, is often a conversation-stopper. Whatever the original discussion was, the one being accused of being judgmental often feels he (or she) must pivot from the discussion to defend himself.
Christians, of course, have often been racist, sexist, and judgmental and so, these are frequent accusations thrown at us – sometimes rightfully. In response to such an accusation, I can have a couple of responses. I can pretend that racism, sexism, and judgmentalism don’t exist and that my accuser is simply too woke and oversensitive. Or I can go to the other extreme – living in fear of being racist, sexist, or judgmental – refusing to take a stand on anything. Or I can acknowledge that sexism, racism, and judgmentalism exist and try not to engage in those things, while remaining willing to address self-destructive behavior. Obviously, I endorse this last option, but it isn’t easy to do right.
Today’s passage though, provides such an example. In the story, Gideon followed God’s commands to destroy his father’s idols. In response, a mob came to Gideon’s home, intending to kill him. Gideon’s father, Joash, was dramatically affected by Gideon’s commitment to God and came to his defense, chastising the mob and calling out their self-destructive behavior. At this point, the mob could have objected. You’re judging us! Instead, though, they saw the error of their ways and relented.
In addiction medicine, t’s often my job to call out self-destructive behavior. If I didn’t do so, I wouldn’t be doing my job. I can, however, approach this a few different ways. It is possible for me be judgmental and condescending. You’re an idiot. I’m better than you. It’s also possible for me to be too soft. Hey, don’t worry, lots of people use drugs. Or I can follow Joash’s example, simply calling out self-destructive behavior and pointing out the consequences. If you continue down this road, it will destroy you. As I said, this is hard to do right and no matter how I approach it, some will always accuse me of being judgmental. The other’s response isn’t my responsibility. My responsibility always is simply to behave rightly myself, speaking the truth in love.