Not Home Yet

Author Unknown

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. – Psalm 73:2-3

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and was returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as the President, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.

No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President’s entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, “Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much fuss over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us.”

“Dear, you shouldn’t feel that way” his wife said. “I can’t help it; it doesn’t seem right.” The husband insisted. When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The press were agog with the President’s arrival.

No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.

That night the man’s spirit broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?”

A short time later, he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, “Dear, what happened?”

“The Lord settled it with me,” he said. “I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, ‘But you’re not home yet.”

Oftentimes, we get worked up by comparing ourselves with other people. But, instead of getting bitter, maybe you can find solace in the knowledge that God is probably telling you that He has something better in store for you when you get home.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

APPRECIATION

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. – Hebrews 13:15

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview and had to see the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from the CV that the young man’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until postgraduate research, there was no year when he did not score A.

The director asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” the youth answered, “None.”

The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”

The youth answered, “My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid my school fees.”

The director asked, “Where did your mother work?”

The youth answered, “My mother worked as clothes cleaner.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”

The youth answered, “Never. My mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.”

The director said, “I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed clothes everyday to enable him pay his school fees. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price the mother had to pay for his academic excellence, graduation and his future. After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”

The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes.”

The Director asked, “Please tell me your feelings.”

The youth said, Number one, I now know what appreciation is. Without my mother, I will not be where I am today. Number two, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number three, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, “This is what I am looking for in anyone who would be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.”

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted would develop “entitlement mentality” and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort of others and the ability to work with others to get things done.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

It Should Not Get to This

A man in Scotland calls his son in London the day before Christmas Eve and says, “I hate to ruin your day but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screams.

“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says. “We’re sick of each other and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Leeds and tell her.”

Frantically, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like h..l they’re getting divorced!” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this!”

She calls Scotland immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced! Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?!” She hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone at the other end and turns to his wife. “Sorted! They’re both coming for Christmas and they’re paying their own way.”

While this anecdote may sound amusing, it also calls for sober reflection particularly in term of how we relate to our parents. Imagine how many times they must have patiently attended to our calls even for the most trivial of things. They should not be denied our attention now that we are on our own and can take care of ourselves.

Meditation: He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. – Matthew 15:3-6

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Story of the Lazy Bird

Author Unknown

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. – Hebrews 12:12-13

Once there was a rich man who bought two beautiful birds as pets for his garden. The birds were some of the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his gardener to be trained.

Many days passed, then one day the gardener informed the rich man that though one of the birds was flying beautifully, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The rich man called in healers and magicians from all over the country to tend to the bird, but no one could make the bird fly. Then the rich man thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he called out to his gardener, “Go and get a villager.”

In the morning, the rich man was thrilled to see the bird soaring high above the garden.

Then the rich man asked the villager, “How did you make the bird fly?”

With his head bowed, the villager said to the rich man, ”It was very easy, sir. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

We are all made to fly and fulfil our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we tend to sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless; but, for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

Let us destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Standing Firm

By Rich McLawhorn

You see it all the time. People achieve success, and then their personal lives seem to fall apart. As someone once said, success has made failures of many men. But does that have to happen?

The September 1996 issue of Standing Firm magazine contains a great story about Bobby Bowden. Bowden is head football coach for Florida State University. His team’s winning record places him near the top in wins among active coaches at the Division I level. Bowden’s record of successes in bowl games is the highest winning percentage in NCAA history. So he is successful in his chosen career. Whether you are a fan of F.S.U. or not, you have to admit that Bowden is a successful coach.

But there is more to Bowden than the statistics you read in the sports pages. He is a man of faith, and makes no apologies for that. During his team’s Friday evening meetings before their Saturday games, Bowden uses valuable time for team devotionals, which he leads. As for his ongoing leadership of the team’s staff, each day he meets with his staff for devotions and prayer prior to their regular staff meetings.

Each year, Bowden takes his entire team to a predominantly black church for worship. The following Sunday, he takes the team to a predominantly white church. There is no deception involved–he writes a letter to each athlete’s parents or guardian to tell them about the church visits and obtain their approval. “I’m trying to show these kids that they are accepted in church whether they are white or black,” Bowden said.

So what is the point of this and the many other ways Bowden walks his walk of faith? Bowden says, “I want to show these kids that you can be a Christian, you can be a God-fearing man, you can abide by the rules, and you can still be successful.”

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

A number of social commentators have asked the questions, “Where are our heroes?” and “Where are the role models for today’s youth?” That is because we constantly read about people who were considered heroes, but turned out to be villains who compromised their values and broke the rules. Is it necessary to compromise your values to make it in life? Bowden’s story shows that it is not. No, Bowden is not perfect. But there is a core to his life. Bowden stands firm in his beliefs–and is successful. What is the difference between the Bobby Bowdens of the world, and others? Simply put, some people are like onions. They have no core, just layers. And when you peel away all the layers, nothing is left. Don’t glorify the “onions” of the world. Instead, lift up people like Bowden–men and women with a core to their lives, who exhibit integrity and faith. Help them touch others. Encourage them. Pray for them. Finally, build and strengthen your own core. Start by placing your trust and confidence totally in God. Trusting in God does not guarantee you worldly success or great riches, but the Bible teaches that something far more important will result, blessings from God.

Meditation: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” – Job 17:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Most Important Question

Author Unknown

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.

I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank…

Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Meditation: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. – Philippians 2:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How To Be A Godly Employee

(Based on the 10 Commandments)

Author Unknown

1. Trust in God only.

Trust in no one but GOD. People will disappoint you. God created you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He is too good to do wrong, and too wise to make a mistake. Let His peace abide in you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Worship God only.

Don’t make your career, your company, or your boss a god. If you do, you will provoke God to jealously and will end up fighting Him. In fact, He may hinder you from achieving what you want until you are broken of the idolatry. (Exodus 20:5).

3. Use God’s Name Reverently.

Don’t swear! Clean words come out of a clean heart! If your co-workers know that you are a Christian, but they hear the Lord’s Name used in vain, or cursing and swearing from your mouth, you will give the appearance of being a hypocrite. (Matthew 15:17-19).

4. Work Six Days and Rest on the Seventh.

Before you beg for more vacation time, ask yourself a few questions, “Do you honour the Sabbath?” God has already given you 52 days of time off that equates to seven weeks. “Are your expectations for work, vacation, and retirement realistic?” By resting one day a week, you can avoid burnout. (Genesis 3:17-19).

5. Respect and Obey Your Boss.

You should respect and obey your boss, because you don’t know what it’s like to be in their shoes. Plus, your ultimate boss is the Lord. Serve Him faithfully on the job, and He will bless you. However, if your boss commands you to do something illegal or immoral, you must make a stand and obey God rather than man. (Ephesians 6:5-8).

6. Protect and Respect Human Life.

Emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual manipulation, abuses and violence have no place in the workplace… or any place. You do not have the right to use and abuse your boss, co-workers, employees, customers, or suppliers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

7. Be True to Your Spouse.

If you are not getting the kind of attention that you feel you deserve at home, it’s common to seek it with someone at work. Honour your wedding vows by avoiding company romances! They are very tempting, very real, and very common. They are also very wrong and very destructive. (Matthew 19:8-9).

8. Do Not Take What Belongs to Others.

Stealing at work can take many forms. You can choose to steal materials, money, time, productivity, and joy from your employer and others. Do not remove your integrity by stealing. (II Corinthians 7:1-2).

9. Do Not Lie About Others.

Do not fabricate stories about your boss, co-workers, and spread gossip for the sake of company politics. You are here to be the salt and the light, not the pepper and the darkness! Truth always rises to the surface, and eventually you will be ashamed and rebuked if you lie. (II Peter 2: 10-13).

10. Be Satisfied With What You Have.

Contentment doesn’t mean that you cannot pursue God-given goals, but it does mean that you are content with what He has provided you with, day after day. Contentment is a rare quality in today’s culture, but it is extremely liberating! Materialism, striving for rank, backstabbing, and discontent lead to emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual bondage. (I Timothy 6:6-11).

Meditation: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” – Job 1:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!