The Most Difficult Words

I must have been sick on the day they taught phonics in school. If I don’t recognize a word by sight, I can find some amazing ways to mispronounce it. The worst part is that even when I know I am speaking it incorrectly, my brain and my mouth won’t cooperate to do it right. I cringe when I know I have to use certain words in a lesson because no matter how much I practice, I’m not sure how it will come out.

However, I know that those difficult words are not the hardest word for people to say. The hardest words to say are sometimes the most simple to pronounce. Phrases like, “I’m sorry” and “I was wrong” and “I have sinned”. The longest, hardest walk many ever will take is the steps down the aisle when they come forward.

It would behoove us to remember this when people need to say those words. We need to do everything to support them and encourage them. We should never hinder someone’s need for repentance with our judgments or indifference. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7 that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” God’s desire is for man to see the error of his ways and come home. We need to make sure we don’t do anything that would hinder someone from making that journey.

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The Gift You Give Yourself

I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me. There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15). I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven. So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives. When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Desire

Is it wrong to want something? I guess it depends on what we want. The Greek language had a word ‘ orego ’ that meant “to stretch oneself out in order to touch or grasp something, often used metaphorically to denote a strong desire or aspiration for something”. Paul uses this word in 1st Timothy as a good thing (to be an elder 3:1) and a bad thing (longing for money 6:10). Our desires oftentimes define who we are. They motivate us to action. They are the focus of our minds and actions. And they can be both good and bad. Sometimes we want something better and we run over people to get it. Sometimes, we want something better so we will strive to improve ourselves. Sometimes we see people with nothing they want and we envy them. Other people will see with no desire and we pity them. We need to desire good things. Be willing to work to get them. Care enough to try. We need to not desire bad things. Be willing to forgo o...

Until Midnight

In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back. I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...

Ecclesiastes 12:10

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