Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6 (KJV)

I think people with talent, power, money and status get a raw deal when it comes to love.  At some point they get no tough love, only soft love and that’s a rip off for them.  Never mind that it’s mostly their fault, because people with talent, power, money and status have ways of making others pay for correcting or setting boundaries for them. Talent, power, money and status are insulators against truth.   Not only do we make people pay for “hurting our feelings” when we are powerful, there’s a false assumption that “might makes right.”  In Christian vernacular we say to ourselves, “well if there’s something wrong with them, then why is God blessing them so much?”   When are we going to realize that success is not a validation of character?

A waitress I know in Foxboro Massachusetts recently served Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriot who is charged with murder.  She said, he refused to speak to her, had his girl friend place the order and then left a 10% tip.  Now I wasn’t there, so I definitely don’t have the whole story. She waited on me before and did a fabulous job.  But here’s my question, whose going to tell a man making 40 million before endorsement deals and surrounded by adoring fans for his on the field talent, “Bro you are rude and you need to change your behavior.”  Yesterday outside the police station adoring fans were screaming, “we love you Aaron.”

In the church we are commanded by our Lord to practice something called discipleship. Discipleship means the shaping of faith, thought, lifestyle and emotional maturity so that we resemble Jesus Christ. Discipleship is done through modeling, instructing, coaching and confrontation. The non-religious practice “behavioral modification. Behavioral modification is the direct changing of unwanted behavior by means of biofeedback or conditioning.  A paragraph on “biofeedback” would be wasted time, so look it up if you care too.

I have definitely observed a two-tiered approach to discipleship among Christians.  It seems to me that we are much more likely to offer counsel and correction to people who are in humble circumstances.  On the other hand we are prone to only be invitational and gracious sounding to the people who seem to be at the top of the social food chain.  I think this is, in part what Jesus brother had in mind when he wrote.   “If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:3-4 (NIV)

Since being the one with the most talent, power, money and status can be true of most of us in the right circumstances; I suggest that we all make it a point to become approachable.  I place the responsibility of receiving correction a little more on the side of the receiver than I do the giver. Agree or not, I still challenge you to invite everyone in your circle of influence to use their voice and their truth to make you a better person.  Let people know that they will not be punished for telling you your wrong.  Even when you don’t agree with people’s opinion learn the gracious art of saying, “thank you for caring enough about me to risk rejection by telling me the truth.”