“Thuli Madonsela is living in fear for her life after she was warned that a prominent Western Cape boss has been paid to arrange a hit on her,” read the Sunday Times on Mother’s Day. I shuddered. I had just recently had a hard conversation with South African pop star Lira about the cost of standing by one’s convictions in public rather than just in private.
“It’s true,” she said, “It’s very hard, but you have to stay true to what you believe in even when the world doesn’t like it – and there’ll always be plenty of people to tell you that they don’t like it.”
Madonsela has neared the end of her time in office as the Public Protector – in fact, she only has five months left of her term and so she is understandably shocked after having received a tip-off from a trusted whistle-blower who is a known police informant. Madonsela thinks that it is probably someone trying their hand at revenge.
The informant, who Madonsela has worked with several times in the past, says that the gang boss has been paid R740 000 to organise that three hitman make her death look like a car accident. The threat was first received on the 1st of April as she was on her way to the Cape Town Jazz Fest. Madonsela alerted the police’s VIP Protection Unit. She initially kept this information from her family, but later informed them.
These events follow after she’s stood up consistently for the right thing in the midst of the turbulent South African political landscape.
All throughout history we learn the stories of people whose lives are threatened and people whose lives have been taken because they spoke out for the injustice in whatever system they were living in, or because they just spoke the truth (and some people didn’t like it).
I guess that we can dream in private about sharing our convictions and dreams with the world but still never be fully ready for the attack we’ll experience once we get out there, especially once we get out on a bigger platform than just our office or classroom.
For people pleasers like me, it can take a huge amount of courage to stand unswervingly for what you know to be true. Sometimes, that truth is unashamedly being who God made you to be in a world full of copies.
I continuously had nightmares as a child, and also struggled with a heck of a lot of bullying, so the very first Bible verse that my parents taught me was from the book of Timothy:
“You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit.” (2 Timothy 2:17)
I love it! In fact, throughout the books of Timothy, Paul tells Timothy how he can overcome his fear: fear of man, fear of being young, speaking out – you name it! This, even though we know that Timothy is a really powerful guy that was incredibly gifted and that God used amazingly!
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul, goes on to say: “Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth.”
I was so encouraged by that word and I believe that you can be too! Friend, today, why don’t we commit ourselves to be men and women that are fully genuine workers who are unashamed of our life’s missions, and guides that are capable of leading others along the correct paths – paths that are defined by the Word of Truth!
If you are struggling to find a defined path in your life, I encourage you to consider Jesus!