Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 12 – No. 4210 October 16, 2010
Thought for the week: "We see things not the way they are but the way we are." – Unknown
"Never undertake anything for which you wouldn't have the courage to ask the blessings of heaven." – George Lichtenberg
"The more is given the less the people will work for themselves, and the less they work the more their poverty will increase." – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy (1892)
"We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions." – Stephen R. Covey, author, professor
"He that can't endure the bad will not live to see the good." – Yiddish Proverb
"Every successful man I have heard of has done the best he could with conditions as he found them, and not waited until the next year for better." – Edgar Howe
"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." – Albert Einstein
"Forgiveness is unlocking the door to liberate someone and realizing you were the prisoner!" – Max Lucado
Beekeepers know that a bee's age is determined by the condition of its wings.
Because bees constantly work, their wings get a lot of wear and tear. Young bees have wide, well-formed wings, whereas older bees have narrow, torn, and tattered wings.
The bee does not die of old age. It dies when its wings are completely worn out and it can no longer work or fly. Near the point of death, the bee points itself away from the beehive and begins to fly, never to return again. The bee literally wears itself out working!
There is a spiritual lesson here for us. As Christians, we need to be diligent servants, doing the work of the Lord. When Jesus evaluated the spiritual condition of the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2-3), their degree of acceptance was directly proportional to the kind and amount of work they were doing. Author unknown
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Vision is everything for a leader. Why? Because vision leads the leader. It paints the target. It sparks and fuels the fire within, and draws him forward. It is also the fire lighter for others who follow that leader. Show me a leader without vision, and I'll show you someone who isn't going anywhere. At best, he is traveling in circles.
The serious damage done to our economy, social institutions, and personal relationships by widespread cheating and dishonesty is bad enough. But widespread acceptance of such behavior as inevitable threatens to make our future a lot worse. In effect, our culture is being infected by a disease: the disease of low expectations.
The disease is manifested by the corrosive assumption that human nature can't be expected to withstand pressures or temptations. In other words, when there's a conflict between self-interest and moral principles, self-interest—in fact, short-term self-interest—will generally prevail.
Thus, whenever a politician lies to get elected, a student cheats to get into college, or an executive commits fraud to save a job or earn a bonus, we blame the system rather than the individual. Under the influence of the disease of low expectations, an increasing army of apologists argue that both the carrot and the stick—previously thought to be valid motivating techniques—should be condemned and eliminated as corrupting influences that create irresistible pressures to cheat.
A school superintendent in Iowa once told me, "Cheating isn't the problem; it's the way we test." We can't expect students not to cheat, he implied, especially when the stakes are so high.
I wonder whether he would be as comfortable with a similar explanation of recent corporate scandals: "Fraudulent accounting isn't the problem; it's the way we compensate executives."
Don't buy into this dreadfully pessimistic and perverted perspective about human nature. Cheating is wrong and harmful. Integrity is real and possible. It just takes character.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Don't let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly."1
One of the biggest barriers to forgiving those who have hurt us is our unresolved hurt and anger. More often than not, where there is hurt, there is anger. Both need to be resolved.
Unresolved or buried anger is extremely destructive. This is why the Bible teaches us to resolve it as quickly as possible. Unless we do, it can turn into resentment, bitterness, hostility, and even rage if enough of it is bottled up for long enough. It is destructive to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. It is also very damaging to relationships and can lead to deep depression. Being angry in and of itself is not sinful. It is how we handle it—or fail to handle it—that is either right or wrong, creative or destructive. No matter what the other person does to me, my anger is always my issue and my responsibility. Nobody makes me angry without my permission.
Anger needs to be directed to its source and felt and expressed (not just talked about) in creative ways. Wherever possible it pays to express these feelings to the one who hurt us, remembering always to "speak the truth in love."2 Where this isn't appropriate or possible, we can write out our feelings as David often did in the Psalms, read out loud what we have written, and then burn or throw away the copy. Or we can express these painful feelings to a trusted friend or counselor. Whatever we do we need to express them creatively and get them off our chest once and for all. This then clears the way for forgiveness; for as long as we nurse grudges and "sit" on our anger, we can never genuinely forgive anyone.
As Paul said, "Don't let the sun go down on your anger!" Don't sit on it. Don't deny it. Don't bury and don't repress it. Express it in healthy ways. And remember, what we fail to talk out creatively we will inevitably act out destructively in one way or another. For further help read, "Taming Your Anger" at: http://tinyurl.com/b439f.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, when I feel angry, please help me to express it creatively without blaming others for my reaction. And help me always to speak the truth in love. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Paul, in Ephesians 4:26 (TLB).
2. Ephesians 4:15.
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