I have no way of knowing if this story is true. It gets told and re-told in the business world, and it also illustrates a spiritual point.
An eager young man once met Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel chain. He seized the opportunity by asking the successful entrepreneur, “Mr. Hilton, what advice can you give someone like me?” Hilton replied “Always put the shower curtain inside the bath tub.”
The young man hoped to receive direction that would contribute to his life. Hilton wanted to relay a message that would benefit himself.
Scripture tells me to look out for the interests of others, to regard them as higher than myself, to treat them as I wish to be treated, etc. Due to the fallen human condition, this is only possible through the grace of the indwelling God. He then meets my own needs through precious people who hear His voice and follow.
If ever I’m asked for guidance by a fellow traveler on Earth, I hope I’ll respond with something beneficial rather than selfish. And I give my deepest thanks to those who do exactly that for me.
I ran across a video on the Internet. It’s a skit with a cast of just two men. One is playing a follower of God, and the other is playing God Himself. At one point, the follower says “I’ve let you down so many times.” God replies “You were never holding me up.”
People have been trying to help God out for centuries. Some Bible teaching even encourages that. We’re told “God plus one is a majority.” Is that really true? Or is God a majority?
I have a feeling that the Almighty needs no help. After all, He’s God. It’s me who needs the help. I’ll let Him hold me up, rather than the other way around.
Christians sometimes talk about “hearing God’s voice.” Personally I’ve never heard God’s voice in an audible way, but if I did, I wonder what it would sound like.
A group of young men and women applied for a job at a clinic filled with AIDS patients. During their interviews, they were asked to read the passage of scripture in Genesis where Adam and Eve sinned and God came looking for them in the garden. In that passage, Adam hid from God, and God called out “Adam, where are you?”
The applicants who read God’s words with anger or a demanding tone in their voices were politely dismissed. Those who read God’s words with compassion and caring – like a father looking for a lost son – were given the job.
I wonder what Jesus’ tone of voice was when He said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” Or when He said to the disciples “Couldn’t you pray with me for an hour?” Or when He said to Peter, “Do you love me?” after Peter had denied Jesus three times. In each case, I hear a voice filled with love, grace, and forgiveness.
It’s great to read the words of the Bible. While I’m at it, I’ll listen for God’s voice.
Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat so they could all go to the other side of the lake. Then He fell asleep, and remained that way even though violent winds and waves stirred up. When the disciples, afraid for their lives, woke Him and begged for intervention, Jesus – sure enough – calmed the storm. But then He said something curious: “Where is your faith?”
Doesn’t Jesus understand that a tiny boat in the middle of raging seas is cause for concern? Many of the disciples were professional fishermen. They knew when the situation was bad. They weren’t crying out for no reason.
From Jesus’ perspective, however, He had told them that they were going to the other side. A mere storm, no matter how fierce, couldn’t change the declaration of the son of God.
My family is today in an “other side” situation. I am trying to stay focused on the promises of Jesus that encourage me to believe we’ll arrive safely. Truthfully, however, I wish He’d get up and do something miraculous.
I’ll let you know how it unfolds.
A well known story in scripture tells about a group of men bringing to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. The penalty for her sin was death, yet the men tested Jesus by asking Him what should be done. Jesus asked if any of them were perfect, then stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. The men all walked away. When they were gone, Jesus spoke forgiveness to the woman and told her simply to go and sin no more.
There is speculation among scholars as to what profound words Jesus must have written in the dust. The Bible does not tell us, so it must not be important. Perhaps the greater lesson has to do with the character of one who would do what Jesus did.
What type of person finds a way to pardon someone who without question deserves severe punishment? What type of person has the confidence to just ask a question, then quietly wait for the outcome? What type of person shares words of encouragement to one who expects a stern lecture, or forgives when he has every right to condemn?
Of course only a person who reflects the nature of God could do such things. In this scripture passage it was Jesus. In daily life it can also be you and me.
The story further shows that I can bring my secret sins and ugliness to Jesus. He will speak few words – most likely a question – then He will stoop down and leave the rest to the small voice within me.
Letters in the dust have the power to transform.
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