Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Sept 28, 2007 12:01:07 GMT -5
THE PRISON OF WANT
Max Lucado
If your ship never comes in, if your dream never comes true, if the situation never changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in prison. And you need to know what you have in your Shepherd.
You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.
And who can take it from you? Can leukemia infect your salvation? Can bankruptcy impoverish your prayers? A tornado might take your earthly house but will it touch your heavenly home?
And look at your position. Why clamor for prestige and power? Are you not already privileged to be part of the greatest work in history?
According to Russ Blowers, we are. He is a minister in Indianapolis. Knowing he would be asked about his profession at a Rotary Club meeting, he resolved to say more than "I'm a preacher."
Instead he explained, "Hi, I'm Russ Blowers. I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis-pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family and hated by his enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead. I talk to him everyday."
If you can say the same, don't you have a reason to be content?
A man once went to a minister for counseling. He was in the midst of a financial collapse. "I've lost everything," he bemoaned. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your faith." "No," the man corrected him, "I haven't lost my faith."
"Well, then I'm sad to hear that you've lost your character." "I didn't say that," he corrected. "I still have my character."
"I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your salvation." "That's not what I said," the man objected. "I haven't lost my salvation."
"You have your faith, your character, your salvation. Seems to me," the minister observed, "that you've lost none of the things that really matter."
Can't we be content? Paul says that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim.6:6) When we surrender to God the cumbersome sack of discontent, we don't just give up something; we gain something. God replaces it with lightweight, tailor-made, sorrow- resistant attaché of gratitude.
What will you gain with contentment? You may gain your self-respect. You may gain joy. You may gain the faith to say, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Try saying it slowly. "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Again, "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Again, "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Shhhhh. Did you hear something? I think I did. I'm not sure...but I think I heard the opening of a jail door.
(C) Max Lucado
www.maxlucado.com
Max Lucado
If your ship never comes in, if your dream never comes true, if the situation never changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in prison. And you need to know what you have in your Shepherd.
You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.
And who can take it from you? Can leukemia infect your salvation? Can bankruptcy impoverish your prayers? A tornado might take your earthly house but will it touch your heavenly home?
And look at your position. Why clamor for prestige and power? Are you not already privileged to be part of the greatest work in history?
According to Russ Blowers, we are. He is a minister in Indianapolis. Knowing he would be asked about his profession at a Rotary Club meeting, he resolved to say more than "I'm a preacher."
Instead he explained, "Hi, I'm Russ Blowers. I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis-pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family and hated by his enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead. I talk to him everyday."
If you can say the same, don't you have a reason to be content?
A man once went to a minister for counseling. He was in the midst of a financial collapse. "I've lost everything," he bemoaned. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your faith." "No," the man corrected him, "I haven't lost my faith."
"Well, then I'm sad to hear that you've lost your character." "I didn't say that," he corrected. "I still have my character."
"I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your salvation." "That's not what I said," the man objected. "I haven't lost my salvation."
"You have your faith, your character, your salvation. Seems to me," the minister observed, "that you've lost none of the things that really matter."
Can't we be content? Paul says that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim.6:6) When we surrender to God the cumbersome sack of discontent, we don't just give up something; we gain something. God replaces it with lightweight, tailor-made, sorrow- resistant attaché of gratitude.
What will you gain with contentment? You may gain your self-respect. You may gain joy. You may gain the faith to say, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Try saying it slowly. "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Again, "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Again, "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Shhhhh. Did you hear something? I think I did. I'm not sure...but I think I heard the opening of a jail door.
(C) Max Lucado
www.maxlucado.com