In order to maintain our Foster Care License, we have to complete 20 hours/year of training classes. Yesterday, we took a class titled "Ethics". Either the culture is changing faster than I would like to admit, or my view on ethics is twisted. At the beginning of the class, the trainer passes out a "quiz", we are to read the different situations, and then choose A, B, or C. The trainer was trying to teach us that we will make a choice based on our own ethics. I want to share one "situation" that I could not refuse to argue with............
Here it is;
One rainy evening I wandered into a shop, where I left my name brand umbrella in a basket near the door. When I was ready to leave, my umbrella was gone. There were several others in the basket. Should I have (A)taken a similar name brand umbrella, (B)taken a lesser quality model or (C)just gotten wet?
Now I realize that there are better things to debate, but one man's honest answer and the trainer's response, had my mind spinning, my heart beating, and prayers to God that He will allow me to be patient and speak wisely..........and for those that know me well, ok, maybe you don't even have to know me well, maybe you just got stuck being around me for more than five minutes, :] , I am under major construction when it comes to guarding the opening on the front of my face! LOL! Does anybody have an Amen? :] (God is working on me, please be patient)
Anyways, I did patiently wait, and thought through if it was worth throwing in my two cents.
After all, I was not in a room with like-minded people, and I would have to spend the rest of the day with a group of people that could hate me, for standing my ground.
So, back to the story, the man answered with honesty, he said that he would have taken a similar name brand. When questioned further about it, he said that he should not have to suffer, but someone else should have to go without, and that it is now someone else's problem. For about 15 minutes, I listened as the trainer threw in other details, like maybe the umbrella belonged to an old woman, who was sick and should not get wet. He stood his ground, someone took his, so he is going to take someone elses, and that is just "too bad" for that other person! At this point, all I could hear was; ("it is all about "me"(mentality), as long as I am not suffering, who cares about others around me!") The conversation about that "situation" was ending, and I was going to remain silent, until I heard the trainer say this......"There is no right or wrong answer".
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????? I waited until she was finished, and I decided to share............
My response went something like this..........................
"I have to disagree with you, there is a right and wrong response in this situation. Taking something that does not belong to you, is STEALING! If our child brought a toy to school, and lost his, but three other kids had the same one, we would not teach our children to take the toy from the other child, because they should not go without, (maybe this guy would). I will give the guy credit for being honest, he never did see anything wrong with taking something that belonged to someone else, and let me just say that through the course of the day, he showed himself, to be a VERY UN-trustworthy person.
It was a mind opening experience for me, and a reminder of what God has done in my heart and in my life. And to be totally honest, I stand guilty of lying, stealing, being judgemental, adultery (in my mind/heart), hate for others, not forgiving, and every sin that is possible to man. But, by the grace of God He has forgiven me, and has changed my heart and my mind. Do I still make wrong choices, daily! But, Christ paid them in full, and I want to live daily in the spirit.
1 Peter 3: 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
