We Reserve the Right To Refuse Service...

Have you ever seen those signs posted near the entrance to a store or restaurant that state: “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone”  I know that they have caught my eye in the past, but to be honest, in our current legal atmosphere those signs really do not carry much clout!  Challenges to the owner’s rights to refuse service to certain types of individuals have rendered that sign’s effectiveness to just a few rigid circumstances.

A peek at an article about this subject on the web site LegalMatch.com tells us that those situations would be limited to such times, for example, when the customer threatens to harm employees or other patrons, or that their presence might create an issue of safety or health hazards.  There are a couple of other situations, but these two seemed to pertain to some thoughts I had concerning our look at the subject of taking thoughts captive to the obedience of God’s Word. (II Corinthians 10:3-5)

One of the best ways to fight the temptation to say or do things that come up in our minds that are contrary to God’s ways is simply to stay away from those places, situations or people who might encourage such thoughts.  In a previous letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul talked about this when he wrote: “…my dear friends, get as far away from the worship of false god’s as you can!” (I Corinthians 10:14 God’s Word ©)

In essence he was telling them to “Reserve the right to refuse service to these temptations” because of the harm they could cause us.  Another way to put it would be to say, “Don’t give any service or attention to those desires, thoughts or feelings.”

When my wife and I were watching a recorded program on the TV the other night, we found ourselves observing a commercial for a popular reality TV show.  In the clip the hostess of the show was shown yelling very critically at one of the contestants.  Since just about everything we watch is recorded, I immediately grabbed the remote and fast forwarded through it and all the other commercials until our show resumed.  Then I turned to my wife and incredibly asked her how audiences could actually enjoy watching people rudely demeaning each other!  But with the popularity of these types of shows, it is obvious that this is an activity that is popular in today’s culture.

When one looks at our media today, it becomes obvious that the enemy of our souls is using it to dull the senses of the audiences to the incorrectness of certain moral issues, honorable social interactions, and the rudimental issues of kindness toward others.  Another area that is getting widespread attention is in turning the activities of occultist events from the domain of evil to being social accepted!

All of these things tend to take away our allegiance to God and place them within the definition of idolatry.  The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we should stay away from such things!  For the last two days I talked about individuals who could be considered “loose cannons” due to their carelessness with the words they speak.  My experiences over the last few years showed me the down side of staying in regular contact with the people who continually spoke this way around us.  I suddenly found myself having to deal head-on with personal feelings of anger, revenge and unforgiveness!  It was especially difficult as I really thought that I was beyond all of that stuff in my Christian walk.  It is amazing to see what gets stirred up when you are continually faced with certain things that are not healthy for you!

The Lord finally made it clear to me (or probably it is better said that I finally heard and obeyed what the Lord had been trying to tell me) to distance myself from these individuals.  This was difficult though because we had been very close to these people through the years and respected them.  They were part of the reason we returned home after our school time in Oklahoma instead of going out into the ministry in another city in California.  After a little over a year now, it is obvious that it was a good decision as our relationships with them have improved and are becoming health again for my wife and I.

This morning the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that “regular contact breeds familiarity and causes the offending individuals to feel free to take certain liberties with you.”  It not only fed their fires but it caused me to constantly feel angry, frustrated and very confused.  It also was becoming too easy for me to want to talk trash about them because I began to give into the lie that I had the right to dish back to them what was being forced upon me!  So Paul’s advice to stay away, or in our case to limit our time with them, was accurate.

So what’s my point here?  Am I proposing that you just cut yourself off from the world and from those in your family or friends that cause you problems?  No, I am suggesting that you simply be aware of where or with whom you spend your time, with what you allow into your head, and with how you are responding to those things.  Sometimes it is best to make a point to limit your exposure to those items.  There are some people and things that we have to touch in our lives, but it doesn’t mean that we have to move in with them!  It is best that we spend the quality time in our lives with those people or things that build us up and keep us focused on the things of God.

Have a great Wednesday!  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… What am I expecting today?”