01.26.21—Hanging In There!--2 Timothy 4:5
My friend, may I ask you a question? Unfortunately, you and I are most often tempted to think with our hearts and our hands first more often than with our heads?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I’m M. Clifford Brunner
“Whatever you do, keep your head about you.” As often as I was warned of this, I’ve seldom stopped to really appreciate what that advice really meant. “Keep my head?” I thought. “That’s easy enough. It’s still attached. It’s my life that seems to be drifting away somewhere!”
Keeping one’s head is pretty basic and sometimes the advice seems a bit trite. But, when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, you and I are most often tempted to think with our hearts and our hands first more often than with our heads. When the going gets tough, we seem predisposed to examine first our emotions and, which often proves to be our downfall, connect these quickly with our hands and feet. Actions based purely on emotions seldom result in the ideal solution for anything. “Keeping” our head in the equation is probably pretty good advice. Because when we stop to think about what we need to do, our faith has a chance to work within our heart and hands. Now there’s a team at work.
Take the story of young William Wilberforce. He was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his ten year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: “Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.” (Daily Bread, June 16, 1989)
The Bible tells us that we should “keep (our) head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work. . . “ (1 Timothy 4:5) When we follow this godly advice, it is far easier to keep cool under pressure and keep both our emotions and our bodies under control. When we strive to think before we act, we give place to our faith and, in turn, open the door to divine opportunity. What may seem insurmountable at the start, even dreadful, may take on a whole different appearance when we come to the realization that God has “raised us up” to do the work. It is He who compels and enables, not merely our hearts and our hands. Keeping one’s head is always the best advice. Firmly attached and working, it enables us to stay morally alert and resistant to pressure. Checking to see if it is still attached is probably pretty good advice after all.
We pray. Heavenly Father. It is far easier to keep cool under pressure and keep both our emotions and our bodies under control when You are leading the way. On our own, when we don’t strive to think before we act, we don’t give place to our faith and, in turn, don’t open the door to divine opportunity. Forgive us Father for not turning to You. When we come to the realization that You have“raised us up” to do the work we need to do, we praise You because You compel and enable us to act, not merely our hearts and our hands. Help us to keep our head attached is always the best advice. Firmly attached and working, it enables us to stay morally alert and resistant to pressure. Checking to see if it is still attached is probably pretty good advice after all. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.