Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
One of the toughest assignments in life is to communicate clearly what happened during a time when emotions were high. People who “fall in love” can hardly describe it. Those who endure a calamity or experience a sudden loss often convey the information in a confused manner.
You look more spiritual whether you are or not. Being outstanding arouses suspicion, being average doesn’t. As Elbert Hubbard once said, “To mediocrity, genius is unforgivable.”
I’m honest; I’ve searched the Scriptures to find statements that support such an extreme emphasis on cutting every economic corner. The only place I find support for that (you’re not going to like this) is in the personal realm, not in the realm of God’s work.
The grass may indeed look greener on the other side of the fence. But it’s poison. A loving God put the fence there for a reason.
It’s now fidelity, not infidelity, that needs defending in our sex-saturated society. People who choose to stay faithful appear somewhere between mid-Victorian and square. They’re about as up to date as a kerosene lamp or a wringer washer.
Believe it or not, your personal testimony is one of the most powerful and compelling tools God has given you in reaching nonbelievers with the Gospel.
Believe me; the steps that led to your conversion and the subsequent ramifications are far more appealing and appropriate to the non-Christian than a pulpit exposition of John 3 or Romans 5. If you have not discovered the value of telling others how God rearranged your life, you’ve missed a vital link in the chain of His blessing.
And what does it take? Bigness. Being free of grudges, pettiness, vengeance, and prejudice. Seeing another in need—regardless of differences of opinion—and reaching out in solid Christian maturity. Just because you care.
If I may take the phrase in Ephesians 5:16, making the most of your time, to include the silent moments during the offering, let me offer some practical suggestions.
I’m not going to talk about what you should do when the plate is passed. Rather, I want to talk about what you might do before and after that time.
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