Last month, my mom, an OB nurse, was scrubbing for a C-section on a busy day. As the room was hopping in preparation my mother had an unexpected visit from the head of security. He called her out of the room. My mother is a petite, but easily combustible woman. “NOW?” I wasn’t there, but I can only imagine the irritation dripping off her words as she spoke. “NOW!” He firmly replied to her.
As he led her out of the room and down the hallway she continued questioning him but got no response. He escorted her into a private office where the official interrogation began. “What’s this about?” Her intensity building I’m sure. “Jane Ann, it has been brought to my attention that while you were in the cafeteria line you munched on an olive before weighing your salad for purchase.” I’m sure she was looking for the candid cameras or someone to pop out from under the desk laughing. But no. It was not a joke. The head of security removed her from surgery to question her about an olive. She admitted her wrong and offered to pay restitution for the stolen olive.
These types of incidents are more common that you might realize. In 2005 a man was tasered by police in Colorado for salad bar theft at Chuck E. Cheese. In November of 2011 a Pennsylvania woman was arrested and charged for stealing a salad from a hospital.
You can only imagine the laughs our family and her co-workers have gotten from this absurdity. But it also got me thinking. Even though it seems absurd to most rational people technically she shouldn’t have “munched” the olive before paying for it. So what’s the lesson in this?
The Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil” (Job 1:8)
I hear many followers of Christ declare their right to indulge their flesh with drinking, smoking, or food. Many demand their privilege to watch movies that they want, say what they want, date who they want, and pursue what their heart desires.
But think of Job. God called him “blameless.” God found no quality in Job that could even come into question. Wow! I’d like to think that could be said of me but I’m not so sure.
Join me today in some self-examination to see if we fit the bill. Could the Lord say we are:
- blameless
- of complete integrity
- fearing God
- staying away from evil
Lord God, fill us with Your Spirit so that we can stand before You and man blameless. Fill us with complete integrity, lacking nothing. Show us that you are a God to be feared. Block our path to evil when we are too weak and blind and are wandering from You. Thank you for the example of Job. He shows us that WE CAN DO IT! In Jesus name, amen.
