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Me? Judge?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”
And on Tuesday night, I sat and watched it. A theatrical presentation. A stage depiction of what Christ did for me. “The Passion,” at Word of Life Church. And they did a great job. The Gospel in stage form. So many people putting their effort into something they believed in. All to bring Jesus to someone. I especially loved the little lambs.
Baaaaaaa.
Running High & Dry on Patience.
I am not a handyman by any stretch. It’s not that I can’t fix things, it’s just that I was raised with a “patch it and keep going” mentality from growing up on the farm. A piece of baler twine, a self-tapping screw, or some duct tape can do a lot, right? But since my living room is not a barn (although my wife thinks it looks and smells like one sometimes), my “get by” approach to the honey-do list can be contentious at times. And that can test my patience.
Don’t we all have our patience tested at times?
And then the dryer broke.
Don’t Give Up. Chase Your Calling (Or Flight).
Have you ever known deep inside something you were called to do? Something purposed? Something good? You feel that burning inside you; you hear that voice whisper in your ear. It is so clear and obvious. Your gut tells you it is the right thing to do. It sounds exciting. Maybe scary. You make a choice. You pick up the calling. You listen. You heed the voice, gain courage, and it fuels you to action.
But . . .
I Can Do All Things?
One thing that really gets my goat is a trite word spoken when I’m down and out. We’ve all had it happen. We hear it all the time. Clichés. Words that don’t help. Phrases that roll of the tongue with ease, doing nothing for the hearer. When I’m down, I don’t want or need someone casually throwing me a lifeline that has no merit. I need real help. I need someone to jump in the trench with me. Hurt with me. A clutch player with skills to make something happen.
After all, when we’re in that vulnerable position of discouragement, do trite words spoken ever lift us?
Sometimes they even do the opposite.
Today, I want to propose a game changer in your life.