"Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?"Our church was blessed with a godly pianist; Avery Dacus was his name. He was one of our seniors, but you’d never know it.Matthew 16:3b
Avery played almost everything from memory. We would name a hymn, he'd start playing as the second or third word left our lips. If he didn’t recognize it by name he'd say, “Gimme the number”; he'd say, “Oh!” and pow his fingers would start playing.
We even heard hymns from our denomination’s out-of-print hymnals. He'd say, “Do you know this one?”
He complained a lot, though. Not about having to play, but humbly, about his finger-work; “They’re not what they used to be, I can’t get them to do what I want them to do!” We are all dumb founded; his piano playing is some of the best southern gospel, ragtime, honky-tonk sounding church music we’ve heard. He just looked at us and said with tears in his eyes, “Well, it’s not!”
Why did Avery insist his finger-work wasn’t up to par, when the rest of us thought it was great? Because he knew his fingers and we didn’t. Years of playing and practicing with those hands let him know what they were capable of; he knew his own hands.
We should all be like Avery when it comes to our own hearts and minds. We should know them so well from years of use that we can tell in a moment if things aren’t right.
God gave us a mind to reason with, to "take every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5). He gave us a heart which, with use, will be soft and supple, a heart which can discern spiritual things. And a spirit with which the heart and the mind can communicate with one another.
Oh, a heart that is used often and discriminately, in combination with a mind that is righteous and just, creates such a powerful conscience in man, once he has the whole armor of God on, and the Spirit gives assent, he is invincible.
Showing posts with label Maturity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maturity. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
DISCERNMENT: Know thyself!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
HYPOCRISY: Not a Fatal Disease But It Ought to Be!
LEANING ON A BROKEN CRUTCH: [James 3:13-17]
A few years ago a sixteen year-old told me he didn’t need God because he was “not that insecure.” What did he mean by that statement? He was implying, “You Christians only go to church and believe in a thing called God because you're insecure and need a crutch to get through life." Where do young people get ideas like this?
First, they see the way some of us live and see that the walk doesn’t agree with the talk, so we’re hypocrites in their mind. As a result, they want nothing to do with what we’re selling.
Second, they lack simple life-experience [aka: common-sense], which breeds selfishness and self-centeredness. As I age, and gain in experience, I’m amazed I survived my own youth.
Much of what we say as young people becomes a hardened belief as an adult. We hear things from others, whom we respect, and accept them as gospel without question. What we don’t know, at that age, is that much of what we hear is what others also heard and accepted without question. The young man I shared my faith with was himself guilty of hypocrisy; however, he lacked sufficient life-experience to discern it.
In repeating, as truth, something acquired from another, without personal knowledge of its truthfulness, we are guilty of using that person as a crutch in the same way Christians are accused of using God ... only we have personal knowledge of the Gospel’s truthfulness.
A few years ago a sixteen year-old told me he didn’t need God because he was “not that insecure.” What did he mean by that statement? He was implying, “You Christians only go to church and believe in a thing called God because you're insecure and need a crutch to get through life." Where do young people get ideas like this?
First, they see the way some of us live and see that the walk doesn’t agree with the talk, so we’re hypocrites in their mind. As a result, they want nothing to do with what we’re selling.
Second, they lack simple life-experience [aka: common-sense], which breeds selfishness and self-centeredness. As I age, and gain in experience, I’m amazed I survived my own youth.
Much of what we say as young people becomes a hardened belief as an adult. We hear things from others, whom we respect, and accept them as gospel without question. What we don’t know, at that age, is that much of what we hear is what others also heard and accepted without question. The young man I shared my faith with was himself guilty of hypocrisy; however, he lacked sufficient life-experience to discern it.
In repeating, as truth, something acquired from another, without personal knowledge of its truthfulness, we are guilty of using that person as a crutch in the same way Christians are accused of using God ... only we have personal knowledge of the Gospel’s truthfulness.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Maturity
Grow Up [2 Thessalonians 3:10; other topics - Personal Growth, Sanctification]
A new television commercial caught my eye a few weeks ago. It’s for the Holiday Inn hotel/motel chain.
It seems a 37 year old boy doesn’t want to leave home; to go it on his own. The mom and dad, both senior citizens, challenge the boy to get out. He asks, “What about grandma?” (Grandma also lives at home.)
His white-haired mother says, “Your Grandma’s 93 years-old.”
He counters, “What about Larry?” Mom says, “Larry’s the dog, honey.”
But he insists a kid should be able to stay at home free, and eat free (please note that this is Holiday Inn’s advertising slogan). Whereupon dad enters the debate, “What do you think this is, a Holiday Inn?”
This would make a great sermon title - “What do you think this is, a Holiday Inn?” Far too many Christians have taken the attitude that they should be able to stay free and eat free. But the Bible says something different.
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