Beware the Weasel

I can’t prove this, but I’m convinced there’s a creature in every man that sabotages his godly intentions and his integrity. I call it the Weasel, and I find him lurking in any number of situations where guys have to ‘man up’ to their own deeds.

He first showed up in the garden, when Adam knew he’d sinned. Remember Adam’s first response? Run and hide, which is a both a traditional and stupid approach to failure. Yet there the man is, cowering in the bushes instead of dealing with the problem.

Rules for Weasels #1: Hide

It’s a rare man who sins, then responds by saying to his wife/friends/Pastor, “Hey, look at this! I failed. I need to deal with it, so let’s bring it out into
the open.”

The opposite is usually true, and that’s where the Ancient Weasel kicks in. He encourages a man to hide, cover up, avoid. But just ask any one of the many politicians, or pastors, or community leaders who’ve had their sin exposed, how effective that cover up is. Ultimately, your secrets leak out despite your best efforts, because you have a loving Father who will, at some point, force the issue.

After all, if He allowed you to continue in secret compromise, the compromise would never end. So exposure, tough as it seems, really is a sign of divine ownership and care.

So of course God pursued Adam when his weasel convinced him to try hiding. “Adam, where are you?” is one of the saddest sentences in all of scripture, as it expresses the broken heart of a Creator who’s saying, “Why avoid Me when all I’ve ever done is love you?”

Rules for Weasels #2: It’s Never Your Fault

So when found, Adam knew hiding was no longer an option. Common sense tells him it’s time to ‘fess up, but oh no, not our boy. If he’s found, he’s still determined not to get busted, so he throws up evasions.

“Did you do what I specifically forbade?” God asks.

Shift the blame, the Weasel hisses, like a lawyer trying anything to get his client off. Say it was Eve, say it was God, say it was anyone but you!

Adam takes the bait. “Well, the woman, who You gave me, made me do it. But if You hadn’t given me Her, none of this would have happened!”

Brilliant. I’m a victim of circumstance, God required too much of me, I’m not responsible. A lot of nonsensical blah blah’s in there, and for what? Excuses never free a man; they only demean him and postpone his inevitable mandate to deal with his own stuff.

The Weasel Wears Old Spice

He’s largely a Man’s animal, this Weasel, appealing to men’s weakness with a good working knowledge of our quirks. I see man after man listening to him, and I’ve been known to take his advice more times than I’d care to admit. He’s especially attuned to our aversion to shame and our difficulty with the tried but true approach of humbling ourselves, admitting our failures without evasion, and taking full responsibility.

So deeply ingrained is this darned Weasel that I’ve come to accept his presence but (I hope) refuse his influence. His voice is like an obnoxious song blasting from the car next to mine when I’m driving. I acknowledge it’s there, but I sure don’t have to listen. In fact, I think I’m even coming to take a bit of reverse advice from my Weasel. If I can’t get rid of him, I can at least commit to doing the exact opposite of what he’s telling me. That guarantees I’ll make the right decision.

Because whatever actions lead you to honesty and manly responsibility are the ones you want to pursue. Your Weasel is, in that sense, like a demented stockbroker who always gets it wrong. So today, when the Weasel tells you what to invest in, go thou and do the opposite of likewise. That way you’re bound to get it right.