Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 12 – No. 2710 July 03, 2010
Thought for the week: "Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction." – Kenichi Ohmae
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." – Victor Frankl
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." – Soren Kierkegaard
"Life without risk is not worth living." – Chuck Lindbergh
"Lost time is never found again." – Benjamin Franklin
"Until you make peace with who you are, you will never be content with what you have." – Doris Mortman
"When you develop your ability to balance your emotions, unexpected problems won't knock you off balance as easily, and you'll return more quickly to a positive outlook." – Peggy McColl
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.
With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags. Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level.)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.
A few years ago the psychology department of Duke University carried on an interesting experiment. They wanted to see how long rats could swim. In one container they placed a rat for whom there was no possibility of escape. He swam a few moments and then ducked his head to drown. In the other container they made the hope of escape a possibility for the rat. The rat swam for several hours before finally giving up. The conclusion of the experiment was just the opposite of our common conclusion. We usually say, "As long as there is life, there is hope." The Duke experiment proved, "As long as there is hope, there is life."1
As the Word of God teaches: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (proverbs 13:12). Thank God for the hope that every Christian has in Jesus Christ and his gift of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life.
Mac Anderson said, "After a speech one day, Zig Ziglar was approached by someone in the audience who said: 'Zig, it was a great speech, but ... motivation doesn't last.' To this Zig replied, 'Bathing doesn't either. That's why I recommend it daily!'"1
The same principle applies to physical, relational, and spiritual motivation. It goes without saying that, whether we enjoy it or not, we need to make sure that we get adequate physical exercise every day. Equally important is that we make the effort to communicate our love to our loved ones through both our words and "random acts of kindness." Even more important is that we spend time with God in his Word, the Bible, and in prayer. All of these exercises are recommended for daily participation.
Sarah's mom agreed to let her go to a party if she promised to be home by midnight. But as the Cinderella hour approached, the 16-year-old did a quick risk/reward calculation.
She knew her mom would be angry and probably ground her, but she was having so much fun she decided it was worth it. Sure enough, when she got home at 2:00 a.m., her mom was waiting for her, enraged that Sarah had violated her promise but relieved she was safe.
"Breaking your word was bad enough," her mom said, "but how could you be so cruel and selfish not call and say you were safe? I was worried sick."
Sarah concluded her evening of bad choices with another: "You forced me into agreeing. The curfew was unfair. As to your worrying, that was your choice. I was perfectly safe. Just tell me the punishment and let me go to bed."
This is ugly.
Sarah's first mistake was to think she had a right to break her promise because she was "forced" into it. Mom's proposition was "Deal or no deal?" Sarah made a deal, and like it or not, she was morally bound to keep her word.
Her second mistake was to think she could buy off the moral duty to keep her promise simply by accepting punishment. Her mom's trust wasn't mended because Sarah paid a penalty. Ultimately, the issue wasn't about curfews and parties; it was about trust and credibility. Her lack of remorse and accountability only made things worse, critically damaging her relationship with her mom.
Her third mistake was to think she wasn't responsible, despite her refusal to accept responsibility for inflicting mental anguish on her mom. She was. If she bothered to think about it, Sarah knew her conduct would cause gut-wrenching worry, every bit as painful as a punch to the stomach. A person is ethically accountable for the predictable consequences of his or her actions.
In a nutshell, Sarah didn't act with character. She was untrustworthy, irresponsible, disrespectful, and unkind. It will take her a long time to build the healthy bonds of trust that both she and her mom want and need.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."1
"Around the turn of the century a young man named Ole took his girlfriend on a summer outing. They took a picnic lunch out to a picturesque island in the middle of a small lake. She wore a long dress with about a dozen petticoats. He was dressed in a suit with a high collar. Ole rowed them out to the island, dragged the boat on to the shore, and spread their picnic supplies beneath a shady tree. So hypnotized was he by her beauty that he hardly noticed the hot sun and perspiration on his brow. Softly she whispered to him, 'Ole, you forgot the ice cream.'
"Ole pulled the boat back to the water and rowed to shore. He found a grocery store nearby, bought the ice cream, and rowed back to the island. She batted long eyelashes over deep blue eyes and purred, 'Ole, you forgot the chocolate syrup.'
"Ole got back into the boat and returned to the store for syrup. As he rowed back toward the island, suddenly he stopped. He sat there in the boat the rest of the afternoon, fascinated by an idea. By the end of that afternoon, Ole Evinrude had invented the outboard motor. And by the way, Ole later married the girl who waited so long on the island."2
As the old saying goes, when life presents you with a lemon, turn it into lemonade! For the Apostle Paul his "thorn in the flesh" (whatever it was) was used by God to keep him humble and effective in his work for the Lord. For me personally (as I've shared before), it was when I felt God put me on the shelf that I turned to writing for something to do--I'm still writing some forty years later. In every challenge, setback, failure, discouragement, there is an opportunity. When you face a daunting challenge or a major setback in your life, with strong desire, commitment to God's purpose for your life, and seeking his direction, you too will discover what your opportunity is.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, when I'm faced with a challenge, setback, or discouragement, please help me to discern what opportunity you have for me in it, and then pursue it with all my heart. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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