No Compromises, No Conformity, No Hate
You don’t see a lot of International passenger cars out there. While most other makes offered a diverse product portfolio, International focused on trucks, truck technology, and truck construction. Their pre-war slogan epitomized this self-actualization: Internationals were “always built as trucks – all-truck trucks – to do a truck’s job!” Their post-war brochures read: “International light-duty trucks are all-truck. They are designed as trucks, engineered as trucks and built as trucks. They’re powered by a truck engine – the famous International Green Diamond. They make no compromise with passenger car construction.”
Truck buyers could be reassured that their truck was indeed all-truck, and not influenced, contaminated, or compromised by the occasional car part thrown in. Those parts wouldn’t pass the truck test at International’s headquarters.
International had to deliberately choose to not build cars, despite market pressure, outsider influence, or apparent success for their competitors. They picked the path of non-conformity, and it helped their products get better.
For Christ-followers, the Bible suggests doing the same:
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
By deliberately choosing to follow God instead of ambling along after trends and fads, these early Christ-followers could “test” decisions much easier. Their decision-making process would look like that of an International engineer developing, say, door hinges: “Hmm, these hinges are quiet in operation, easy to use, and a bit flimsy. They belong in a Ford coupe… or our dumpster out back, because we only build trucks here.” That’s purposeful thinking right there.
If this sounds limiting, repressive, or even xenophobic, revisit the word choice in this passage. The mind is “renewed” when God transforms it. It shifts into overdrive and tracks straight and true down the limitless freeways of Godly wisdom, understanding, compassion, grace, contentment, and love. The strongest expressions of these attributes come only from God – love according to God is better than love according to anyone else – so chasing after anything else is actually limiting. Plus, the most effective way to love thy neighbor is with God’s love, and loving people in a pluralistic world without conforming to unhealthy ways of thinking requires Godly wisdom. Christ-followers desperately need God’s renewal to lovingly live, share, create, and celebrate with the great diversity of people on this planet. Any idea or action should be tested against this high standard.
God is overjoyed to invite people to participate in his will. He renews the mind after he cleanses the heart, even ones that have crumbled apart by chasing after trends, fads, or unfulfilling love. He does this because he’s deliberate and single-minded too. He’s all-God, doing God’s job.
International enjoyed decades of operation building light-duty trucks in the U.S., putting some of the sturdiest work trucks in the calloused hands of hard-working folks. To most, they were mere tools, and few (if any) were pampered. But a surprising amount remain operable. Well maybe it isn’t so surprising. They were built as trucks, and built well.
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