Have you been in a situation where you are being led by the Lord to stand up for your faith but in the process may offend others, believers or unbelievers?

Our HR Department made an announcement for all the employees to go down to level D parking area to pick-up some goodies from our suppliers in celebration of the Memorial Day. We were also told that each employee would receive one box of Bacardi (24 bottles) per box.

I've never been drunk in my life. Drinking has never been a temptation to me, but the sound of the name tells me that the contents of that box can make people drunk. Almost like an instinct, I went down to the said parking level with the rest of the accountants and lined up to a parked van to get my share of Bacardi. Some parking attendants who were around at that time seemed to be puzzled and confused why I was there in the first place. As if I can read their minds asking the question: Why is Pastor Bing even bother to stand in line to get that free wine? If he has a drinking problem, he could just go grab some bottles from Sav-on or somewhere else without people seeing him.

I must admit, all of a sudden I felt so uncomfortable with the situation. I am now beginning to wonder if I did the right thing of following what I thought was the Spirit's leading for me to do. But I know why I was there; I am determined as the Lord led me to get that box so that no one else can get it. If the Lord led me to do it, my action will be to edify and to give glory to Him. How? In this situation, I really don't know.

I was driving out of the parking area later that day (with the box of Bacardi in my trunk), when one of the parking attendants stopped me and signed for me to roll down my window. He's a very close Christian friend of mine. "Is it good?" He asks in broken English, (this poor brother can hardly speak English). "Which one, what are you talking about?" I forgot all about the Bacardi incident. "The wine! You like it? Don't be drunk. Pastor. All our Christian friends here are wondering why you get that wine."

Oh, I see. Brother, I don't know if you can even understand what I am about to say, but let me try my best. (Not my reasoning but my English because the situation requires quite a lot of English.) If I don't get my share, somebody else will get and drink it. I cannot stop or rebuke them for that, because they are unbelievers. So, instead of any of them, getting two boxes, I took my share so nobody can get it. Understand? But you cannot give it to others, Pastor, and for sure you will not drink it. He was really asking for a valid explanation to my action. That's a no, no. I won't. Perhaps I'll pour them on the drain so nobody gets drunk with it. "Yes! That's what I thought", he agreed with a sound of relief. "I will tell the guys why you took that wine, very good Pastor," he says.

Jesus said we are the light of the world. We don't give account to anybody but to Him. At times, we are faced with complicated situations and we wonder how we can cross over and still fit to our calling afterwards. I say, let the Lord have His way. Let's go where He wants us to go, say what He wants us to say and be what He wants us to be. Some will be offended. Jesus said, "servants are not greater that their master" and we know how great so many got offended of Him. To Him and Him alone we give account. To His and His standard we must try to fit in all the time.

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