Standing Firm

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.

By Rich McLawhorn

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

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

“How I Killed My Wife!”

Yesterday, I went to interview a preacher. He came three hours late to his church, venue of our meeting and I was a bit angry. But when he explained what kept him, not only did I forgive him quickly and learned some lessons, but I decided to share this with you so that some of us could learn.

Husbands and wives should learn how to settle their quarrels without delay. I have seen situations where couples allow simple disagreement to fester for days. Husband is silently hurting, expecting the wife to speak to him first; same for the wife, hurting and expecting the husband to play the man. The waiting game leads from one thing to the other. If you are at this level of matrimony, please read this. You might have a reason to call your spouse and together take an oath that “OUR QUARREL WOULD NOT LAST BEYOND THAT MOMENT.”

The story as told by the reverend: Husband and his wife (his church members) had a domestic disagreement one morning. The man said he was so bitter about it, claiming his wife knew she was wrong but refused to apologise. She felt it was a non-issue and the husband should overlook easily. To say “I am sorry, darling” to her husband was difficult for her. So many people are like that. So many wives take their husbands for granted too much. We are humans. Blood flows in our veins.

Three days on, malice reigned in the house. The husband said he must get that “I am sorry.” Wife cooked, husband refused to eat. Every day he came home with food from the restaurant. He boycotted matrimonial bed. Husband found new friends in the children; same with the wife. By the way, the children were too small to break the ice. I’ve been there before. Thank God I am wiser now.

On Sunday, last Sunday, they went to church in their different cars but sat side by side during service, pretending to be jolly good husband and wife. Fraud in the house of God! May God forgive some husbands and wives. But after service, husband went home with the children while she waited for women’s meeting. That day, Satan decided to enter the crevice they allowed in their home.

The husband was home already. When he perfunctorily checked his phone, his wife had called him thrice. He disregarded calling her back. Malice. The wife drove in some forty minutes later. He saw Usman opening the gate for her as his phone went on ringing. He checked it. It was his wife. She was in her car at the garage already. What is she calling me for? Foolish and stubborn wife! He said and ignored her calls. The call went on for a while. He ignored it as he sat with the TV.

Thirty minutes later, she did not come in. Something told him to go and check. Is she still in the car? Yes she must be there. He called Usman, Is madam in the car? Few minutes later, Usman rushed in, “Madam dey sleep inside the car o!”

That was when he woke up and rushed downstairs. Asthma! Could she be having her usual attack? Could she have forgotten her inhaler?

He quickly took the inhaler and rushed downstairs. When he got there, she was almost breathless. Usman and husband quickly carried her to the back seat and off he sped like a bat out of hell to the clinic nearby. Madam was confirmed dead! If he had picked her call early enough, probably she could have been saved.

When you leave domestic disagreement to fester for too long, it leads to greater evil. The preacher said the husband is weeping mad, blaming himself: “I killed my wife!”

Only God knows how many wives, husbands, children have died such a needless death. Couples must cultivate one another. No matter how angry I am with my wife; I, in my office; she, in her shop; I call her at least three times during the day. I call even when I have no reason to call. All I would say is, “Where are you? Anything for your boyfriend?” I am not saying this to impress anybody, but because it is true.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.– Ephesians 4:31

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Buying Time

A man came home from work late again, tired, irritated, and stressed, to find his 6-year-old son waiting for him at the door.

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”

“That is none of your business! What makes you ask such a question?” the man said irritatingly.

“Oh, I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.

“Well, if you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was irritated. “If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is so you can borrow some for a dopey toy or other nonsense, then off to your room and think about your selfishness. And besides, you’re only 6 years old, and 6 year-olds don’t need money. I work long, hard hours every day to earn money for you and your mom, I don’t have time to talk about loaning you money”.

The little boy went quietly to his room and shut the door.

After about an hour, the father had calmed down and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there really was a reason he needed to borrow $10.00, he had never asked before for money. The father went to the boy’s room and knocked on the door. “May I come in?” inquired the father.

“Yes, Daddy,” replied the little boy.

“I have been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It has been a long, tough day and I took my anger out on you. Here’s the $10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat up straight and beaming said: “Oh, thank you, Daddy!” Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some crumpled up dollars. The father seeing that the boy already had money started to get angry again. The little boy slowly started to count out his money, then looked up at his father.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“For what?” said his father.

“Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

Meditation: But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Unfolding the Rosebud

It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of GOD’s design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so sweetly,

When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of GOD’s design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Him for His leading

Each moment of every day.

I will look to Him for His guidance

Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,

Only my heavenly Father knows.

I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose.

Meditation: O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. – Jeremiah 10:23

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes

Which God gave me to hold.

He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black,

And all your joys in the gold.”

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes

Both my joys and sorrows I store,

But though the gold became heavier each day

The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black

I wanted to find out why

And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole

Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,

“I wonder where my sorrows could be.”

He smiled a gentle smile at me.

“My child, they’re all here with me.”

I asked, “God, why give me the boxes,

Why the gold, and the black with the hole?”

“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,

the black is for you to let go.”

Meditation: Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. – Isaiah 53:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Don’t Take it Home

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet the family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

After opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His face was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and then gave his wife a kiss.

Afterwards, he walked me to my car. We passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again.”

“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

There is an even better way of dealing with the challenges of life – cast them all upon Jesus, Who is an expert at turning troubles around testimonies.

Meditation: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Homeless Man

It was a cold winter’s day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church. As I got closer, I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face.

He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all fellowshipped for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me.

A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit he took off his hat and coat.

My heart sank.

There stood our preacher…he was the “homeless man.”

No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand. “Folks, I don’t think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today.” Then he started singing the words to this song.

If I can help somebody as I pass along.

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song

If I can show somebody that he’s travelling wrong.

Then my living shall not be in vain.

“IS YOUR LIVING IN VAIN?”

Meditation: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. – Hebrews 13:2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!