Gingersnaps

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” ― Maya Angelou

Imagine you are walking down the sidewalk, enjoying your day when all of a sudden something falls from a tree in front of you and lands on the ground. Then another. And yet another.

Once you regain your composure, you realize that what has fallen are green iguanas. Yes, iguanas. Some 6 inches long, others much longer. Seemingly dead. Falling from the trees. Just the thought of it makes me squirm.

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This was the scenario that played out in South Florida during an unusual cold snap this year. People were finding iguanas lying flat on their backs all over the place. By swimming pools. On roads. On sidewalks. Under trees. Why? Because the temperatures dipped down into the 40’s. Too cold for these cold-blooded creatures to function. However, they were not dead, they were frozen. Paralyzed.

Cold-blooded animals take on the temperature of their surroundings. When it is warm, their blood is warm and they are very active. When it is cold, their blood is cold and they become sluggish. Evidently, when it is unusually cold, like it was during this cold snap in South Florida, they freeze. They become paralyzed. They can no longer function.

Warm-blooded animals (such as you and me), were created to keep the inside of our bodies at a constant temperature. This gives us the ability to function and remain active in most environments. In other words, the temperature of our surroundings, whether warm or cold, does not affect our ability to function. It will not paralyze us.

This strange occurrence, made me think of my Christian walk? Am I a “warm-blooded” or “cold-blooded” Christian? In other words… do my surroundings influence my behavior and beliefs? I know that sounds weird, but just hear me out.

Let’s say I characterize “warm” surroundings as places I am comfortable in my environment. I am surrounded by like-minded people and have the ability and freedom to be who I am in Christ. I can share my faith without fear of rejection or persecution. I live my life in the Truth with support and accountability. I am active and moving. In warm surroundings, both the “warm-blooded” Christian and the “cold-blooded” Christian would function perfectly fine.

Now, let’s think about “cold” surroundings as a place I feel alone in my belief. Intimidated by the majority. An outsider. Persecuted. Rejected. I am surrounded by people who are rejecting the Truth. Or at the very least, they are justifying their behavior with the argument of widely and newly accepted social or cultural norms.

In these cold surroundings, the “warm-blooded” Christian will continue to function well. Sharing the Truth with those around without fearing persecution. However, the “cold-blooded” Christian, will be fearful. They will not speak out. Potentially blend in with the crowd. Paralyzed.

This may be a silly analogy. But I really had to do some soul searching.

Do I keep faithful and follow the truth regardless of my surroundings? Do I block what is going on around me from influencing my behavior? Do I nurture my relationship with Christ and remain active and steadfast in my beliefs? (Warm-blooded)

Or do I allow the climate to influence my behavior and beliefs? As long as I am in a warm environment, I am active and comfortable, but once the environment is cold and negative, do I become paralyzed? Do I find it hard to share my faith? Do I even start to question the truth? Blend in with the crowd… Join in with inappropriate jokes? Participate in gossip? Justify behavior? (Cold-blooded)

I believe as Christians, if we aren’t careful, we can take on the temperature of our surroundings. When we are immersed in cold, negative climates, the Truth may start to become murky to us. We might begin to question what we believe and let the fear of rejection paralyze us. So it is important for us to protect ourselves by staying in the Word.

Peter reminds us, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” —1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

We are called to remain steadfast in the Truth regardless of our surroundings.

A quick funny story I heard the other day… In Central America, iguana meat is a delicacy. And during this cold snap in Florida, a man (originally from Central America, now living in Florida) saw several iguanas on the ground and could not believe his good fortune. Thinking they were dead he scooped several up, put them in his back seat and headed home to cook them for dinner. Well, you guessed it. As the car warmed up their bodies, the iguanas came back to life. They started running all around in his car, nearly causing the man to crash!

Let me end with this… These “cold-blooded” iguanas almost met their demise because they took on the temperature of their surroundings and became paralyzed!

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 The Message (MSG)