Influenced

Sometimes we can back ourselves into a corner.

When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. - Mark 6:22-26

Herod in today's Gospel reading, let the wine and the the excitement of the moment take control of him, causing him to offer more than he anticipated.

This is the reason we are instructed not to sign any contracts after having anesthesia.  Our minds are not clear.  We may agree to something we want to recant later. 

That's what happened to Herod.  He offered Herodias whatever she wanted, without thinking it might be something he was not willing to give.

But we don't have to be drugged or drunk to let the excitement of the moment carry us away.  We could just be swept up by the momentum, following the crowd.

Herod could have said she could have anything but what she asked for, but that would have been a blow to his ego, so he gave in.  In the end, who looked foolish?

The lesson, I guess, is to use good judgment, to stay on our game and not let the situation have influence over us. 

That takes focus.  We need to be alert and in control, or we may find ourselves swayed by others.

And once we hand over control to someone else, we may not be able to take it back.

There will always be someone eager and willing to take advantage of our weaknesses, the way Herodias did.

So we should be aware of our weaknesses and defend them well, or we may find ourselves outmaneuvered and taken advantage of.

More to come...