Earlier this week, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg released the full text chain of the group chat he was mistakenly included in by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. The only redacted portion was the name of an undercover CIA intelligence officer. The move was likely the result of the numerous personal attacks levied at Goldberg throughout the week, as well as the ways in which the Trump administration has attempted to downplay the Signal leak and its breach in security.
Conner and Micah went into much greater detail on this story and the lessons we should take from it in this week’s episode of Culture Brief, while Dr. Jim Denison discussed what occurred in Wednesday’s Daily Article. As such, I’m not going to rehash those details today. Instead, I’d like to focus on a part of the story that could prove far more instructive for understanding how President Trump and his administration will proceed going forward.
You see, one of the more revealing aspects of the Signal chat was how Vice President JD Vance pushed against the attack, calling the idea “a mistake” and questioning whether Trump was fully aware of “how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.”
Many have taken those words as a sign of a potential rift between the two leaders. But are they right to do so? Do Vance’s comments in what was intended to be a private setting portend trouble for the administration, or could they be a sign of something else?
It’s good to disagree
Part of what made Vance’s comments stand out is that they marked the first sign since before the election that he was anything but in lockstep with the President. From that point forward, they’ve seldom appeared to disagree, and the Vice President’s private comments have caused some to wonder if there is more conflict behind the scenes than appears in public.
And, were that the case, it would be a net positive for the administration.
After all, one of the primary allegations levied against Trump’s second presidency is that he’s surrounded himself with a bunch of yes-men who never question or oppose his ideas. Such counsel would be no more beneficial for him than it would be for any other leader. However, if those closest to him are free to disagree without that contention becoming public knowledge, then it would be a sign of a healthier situation.
William Martin—Vance’s communications director—has since said of their conflicting views on the attack against the Houthis that the VP and Trump are now “in complete agreement.” That’s fine, if true, but it’s ultimately unnecessary. Vance doesn’t have to agree with Trump to still work to see the President’s directives and decisions accomplished.
If you’ve ever had a boss, then chances are you’ve experienced something similar.
You don’t have to—and likely won’t—agree with everything that your boss does, regardless of how good they are at their job. It can even be beneficial to share those conflicting views in private. But once the boss makes the decision, then—assuming that decision is neither illegal nor sinful—the job of those under them is to see it done.
Of course, keeping that balance can be tricky, but that’s a reality that all of us face. And that’s especially true when it comes to our relationship with God.
“Come now, let us reason together”
One of the best parts about the Christian faith is that we serve a God who welcomes our disagreements and questions.
As he told his people through the prophet Isaiah, we are invited to reason—literally argue—with him (Isaiah 1:18). And those are not empty words.
Rather, we see them lived out in the stories of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the lamentations of Job. And Jesus spent most of his ministry talking with people and teaching in ways that fostered discussion.
At the same time, however, God is equally clear that he still gets the final say. When he makes his will known, our job is to obey regardless of whether we agree or understand all that he’s asking us to do.
It’s after a decision is made that we’re often inclined to mess things up, though. And, this side of heaven, that’s always likely to be the case.
God shows us great respect by encouraging conversation and giving us the free will to decide how we will respond to his commands. He also gave us the ultimate compliment when he decided to create us in his own image (Genesis 1:27). Perhaps it should not come as a surprise that our greatest temptation is often to act as though we’re his equals in these endeavors.
So how well are you resisting that temptation today?
The gift of obedience
Think back on the last time God asked you to do something you either didn’t understand or didn’t agree with. How did you respond? Did you eventually choose to follow his will or your own?
We learn a great deal about ourselves and about our relationship with God when obeying him gets difficult.
Yes, we’re free to disagree, ask questions, and even vent a bit when a chasm exists between what he wants us to do and what we’d prefer to do instead. But unless we’re willing to eventually set all of our disagreements aside and see his will accomplished, then we’re really not living as if he’s the boss, and our claims of faith start to ring a bit hollow as a result.
So the next time you find yourself in a disagreement with God, speak your mind and grant him the conversation that his Word says he wants. But remember that a time will come when you still have to be willing to set that conflict aside and do what he’s called you to do. Such obedience is one of the greatest gifts we can offer to a God who has already given us infinitely more (1 Samuel 15:22).
What gift will you offer him today?
Quote of the day:
“God’s commands are designed to guide you to life’s very best. You will not obey Him if you do not believe Him and trust Him. You cannot believe Him if you do not love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him.”—Henry Blackaby
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