Unusual Affirmations

My grandson is home from school today because he's sick. He was sitting on my lap trying to play a video game that was too difficult for him. He kept asking me to do it for him, but I told him that I knew he would be able to get it if he practiced long enough. 

Finally, exasperated, he threw the controller at me, "Here, Papa, it's your turn."

As I was trying to figure out how to start the game, he hopped out of my lap and said, "You have a nice day, Papa. You make the world a better place."

Did I mention the child is four years old?

I don't know if he knows the world needs to be a better place, if he really believes I'm affecting any change in it, or if he's just repeating what he heard at school this week as they were talking about compassion. What I do know is that I can choose to recognize and accept encouragement in what ever form it appears. How about you?

You have a nice day. You make the world a better place.

Where Never is Heard

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,

And the deer and the antelope play,
Where never is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Tony Needs a Sermon Week is winding down, and I would like to thank everyone who participated. It has been challenging, humbling, discouraging, and uplifting - depending on the attitude of the sermonizer. The main thing I got out of it was a reminder to keep my attitude in check when I'm the one preaching the sermon. I'm not always good at that.

I watch several sermons online each week. On Facebook, someone posted an endorsement of a sermon because of a specific statement the pastor made. I was curious, so I watched the 140 minute service. I never heard the statement. There was a space of a few minutes where the sound was turned down - or some technical issue - or maybe I dozed off. What I did see was a frustrated man. He expressed his frustration with the ushers, the camera operator, and the media person. He came across as controlling and manipulative. I pray that he takes time to rest, that his church supports him, and that they thrive in their mission. 

I have several others that were encouraging and eye-opening for me this week. If you have time, you may want to check these out. 

Tullian Tchividjian Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World.

Chris Whitman The Value of Life

Holly Furtick This Time

Pete Hise No Other Name

Clark Whitten Stop Living in the Shadows

 

You Are Not Alone

It's easy to feel alone when you are taking a walk of faith, but I don't believe God ever gives you a mission just for you. There will always be others who will help you, encourage you, follow you, or need what you offer. Many times, the reason for the mission is so that several, or many others can follow your lead.

You may have read this scripture. Then the Lord answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets so that the one who reads it may run with it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:2, 3 NASB)

Habakkuk was encouraged to grasp the vision God was giving him and to pass it on with such clarity that someone else could actually carry out the mission God was giving Habakkuk! See, the mission isn't about you. Don't be a vision-hog. Look for someone that will sign on and commit to be your supporter. 

 

But, what about those other people who will be discouragers and will say you will never accomplish anything? Jon Acuff addressed that today as a guest writer for Michael Hyatt. You can read the entire blog here. In his post, he wrote,

The truth is, you should never waste time trying to turn someone who hates you into someone who likes you. Instead focus on turning people who like your dream into people who love your dream.

So how do you know who a hater is? Simple, someone who hates on something without a solution to make it better is a hater. If they don’t have a fix, an idea, a spark of improvement, they’re just there to hate. That’s one of the main differences between hate and feedback.

Don't be discouraged. God has a helper - maybe many helpers - for you. It's biblical to leave the haters in the dust, see Matthew 10:14. Let the haters hate, but let those who hear the voice of God and catch a glimpse of his heart run to spread his love to those who need it most.