Hearing From A Donkey

Part 1 of 2

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]HERE IS AN age-old story about a man named Balaam who was a powerful leader. In the hay-day of his influence, principles of truth guided his words and actions. Because we know that principles of truth never change, falter, or fail – we know that Balaam was a man of wisdom. He was skilled in communicating well, engaging with common sense, and influencing with knowledge and strength. A man of honor, Balaam managed pressure and conflict with integrity. Until he didn’t.

The Anatomy of Balaam’s Fall

This is the geist of Baalam’s hay-day leadership story:

1. He was chosen to bring truth and guidance to a large and select group of people. These select people were in a place surrounded by other leaders and many people who did not have their best interests at heart.

2. The reigning powerful leader in this place, who had misery-causing (evil) motives, decided to network with Baalam. This leader’s ultimate goal was to use his partnership with Baalam to create chaos, confusion, and offense among the select people.

3. Specifically, this leader requested that Baalam introduce negative, disrespectful, and untruthful communications among the select people, which would lead to disobedient behavior. Ultimately, this behavior would cause the destruction and demise of the select people.

4. For a time, Baalam refused to compromise his integrity. Rather, he spoke facts and reality (truth) into every opportunity to do wrong.

5. Because Balaam continued to communicate with the misery-causing leader, Balaam was eventually tempted by the powerful leader with a monetary payoff.

Sadly, Balaam entered into the state called Compromise.

6. In the midst of his rebellion, Baalam tried to find a non-existent middle ground between truth and lies; between right and wrong; and between good and misery-causing behavior.

7. In time, the state of Compromise caused Balaam to gradually reason wrongly, manipulate circumstances, misuse relationships, initiate witch-hunts, and twist facts and reality – over and over and over again.

8. Balaam was playing on the slippery slope of Compromise – all the while lying to himself that he was still a good man.

Eventually the slippery slope led him to a place between a rock and a hard place – literally.

9. As Balaam was riding his donkey to work one day (in full-blown compromise mode), the beast shimmied his way into a very narrow place between two rock walls – with one on each side – thus inhibiting Balaam’s forward movement.

10. Balaam was determined to have his own way so he began to beat his faithful donkey, cursing and blaming the donkey for his (Balaam’s) consequential situation.

11. Against all that nature teaches, the donkey begins speaking facts and reality to Balaam. Yes, a donkey spoke into the deceived, rebellious, compromised state of a man! ¹

Not the Good Kind of Compromise

To be clear: while there may have been some good derived somewhere in all of Balaam’s life story, Balaam’s state of deceitful compromise did not represent the good kind of compromise.

[message type=”custom” width=”100%” start_color=”#E6FEFF ” end_color=”#E6FEFF ” border=”#BBBBBB” color=”#333333″] Never doubt, there is a genuinely good kind of compromise associated with peaceful, wholesome, and righteous outcomes in negotiation processes. This good kind of compromise genuinely has everyone’s best interests at heart – when no one is forced to wear the donkey tails of blame and shame.[/message][su_spacer]

No, Balaam’s kind of compromise was highly self-serving, self-protective, and self-willed. Over time, his ill-begotten motives were covered in gooey, flowery words consisting of all things “Self.” In his deceived state, the words of his mouth were strung together in half-truths that were repeated over, and over, and over again – creating a quagmire of aggravating nonsense.

This kind of confusing nonsense is just the kind of foolishness that causes donkeys to defy their very nature, purpose, and position – and speak!

The Sludge of Compromise

So, how does a leader spiral downward from his once upright position of integrity of character? Even more, how does this phenomenon happen in the very midst of the watchful eyes and listening ears of so many followers?

[message type=”custom” width=”100%” start_color=”#E6FEFF ” end_color=”#E6FEFF ” border=”#BBBBBB” color=”#333333″]For starters, the sludge of compromise is craftily preceded by a slippery slope of self-enthronement. One doesn’t just move from Wisdom’s hallways of success to abiding among the exhausting work rooms that house half-truths. [/message][su_spacer]

For sure, there is a breezeway between Wisdom’s hallways and Half-Truth’s work rooms. This breezeway is where the giant of self-will is worshipped by the leader and his group of supporting minions – out of the sight of the followers.

• In the proverbial breezeway, the idea of the self-willed throne begins in certain areas of the leader’s thoughts and feelings.
• This idea is encouraged by the supporting minions, many of whom need to maintain their position of power, control, and authority.
• In time, the self-willed throne is occupied by the various wellsprings of knowledge, strength, wisdom, and authority amassed by the self-appointed king and his minions.
• These wellsprings are generally created in legitimate areas where the leader has:
  • been given great insight;
  • prevailed over conflict;
  • gained authority;
  • instructed others; and
  • enjoyed success.

So you see, even in the self-enthronement process there are slivers of goodness, righteousness, and truth represented by the wellsprings.

This truth is part of the overwhelming sludge and frustration of compromise: there is always some sliver of truth in every lie. This is why a lie is so frustratingly deceiving to so many people. But, a lie, is a lie, is a lie – even with its faint flicker of light.

            The Antidote to Compromising Lies: Principles of Truth

[bctt tweet=”Nevertheless, a lie cannot withstand the power and purity of principles of truth that never change, falter, or fail.” via=”no”]You can take that truth to the bank!

Principles are always right, therefore the people who live by principles have no need to worry about who is right or wrong. For truly, the compromiser’s accusations of who is right and who is wrong cannot be laid at the feet of a person who lives, moves, and has their being based on principles.

Rather, the rightful place for all truth and all lies is at the feet of principles. This is because Principle’s perfect scale of weights and balances awaits justice’s measurements – That of Revelation Truth.

Come to think of it: Revelation Truth is exactly what Donkey-Speak consists of – in its entirety.

Reference

¹ King James Bible. Book of Numbers, Chapters 22, 23, and 24. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible, 1973. Print.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Part 2 of Devaney’s Series can be found HERE