Five Fingers

Five Fingers
by Louise Bergmann DuMont

The man held up his hand, palm forward, five fingers raised like a banner. Hundreds of vehicles (with a total tonnage greater than a freight train) were brought to a halt by that one motion. Men and women, destitute and solvent, virtuous and corrupt… it didn’t matter. When the officer raised his hand, traffic stopped. For a brief moment I pondered the power in that hand. Then I smiled. The power was obviously not in those five raised fingers; it was all about the authority of the man who held up the fingers.

Some individuals use abusive verbal or physical intimidation to achieve specific actions, but no amount of force will earn them respect. There are those who their purchase attention with currency or favors, but nothing they do wins them the love they crave. Still others hope that physical perfection or prowess will gain them fame, but they soon find that the honor they achieve is only fleeting.

So what gives one man the authority to stop traffic with a raised hand? A little thought brought a quick conclusion. The officer stops traffic because drivers recognize his authority to do so – they know that the entire police force and our country’s judicial system are ready to support the officer’s decisions.

A bad cop, who abuses the authority vested in him, may get individuals to respond to his actions but they won’t give him the same respect.

Men and women who speak the truth of God’s Word also have an authority to back them up. The Heavenly Father stands behind His prophets and preachers and distributes consequences for disobedience to His laws. Jesus will someday judge those who disregard his representatives

A person’s ability to move others to action resides in the power sustaining them and the manner in which they represent that authority. A police officer does not feel the need to ‘convince’ people to obey and Christians who speak with the ultimate authority at their helm should not feel the need to ‘convince’ people that God’s Word is true.

They simply allow the authority they hold to speak for itself.

Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thessalonians 4:8