A thought by Erwin Raphael
McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Location 1147). Kindle Edition.
My dad was a minister and
there were many phrases that he said that have stayed with me. One was, “A short pencil is better than a
long memory.” I use my notes app on my
iPhone all the time. Another was, “No
paper is so thin that is doesn’t have two sides.” I strive to always see the other side. But one that came to my mind this morning
was, “What your faith covers you now have.”
I was just reading on my
Kindle, Matthew 9 in the Message paraphrase and Jesus said something to a
couple of blind guys that reaffirms my dad’s phrase. It says,
“He touched their eyes and said, ‘Become
what you believe.’” Become what
you believe. The reality was they were
blind but the reality was Jesus could give them sight. He said, “It’s up to you. Choose what you’re going to believe and that
will become a reality.”
What are you becoming by what
you believe? I’ve been wrestling over
one of the physical problems that come from getting older. It was getting me down last night and it
seemed to stay with me this morning. In other
words, I was getting depressed. I’m
turning 66 a week from Saturday and that fact may have been there in my subconscious. That is why the phrase that Jesus said really
hit me. I understand the reality of
being 66 but I also know that I don’t need to believe that it is a roadblock to
living a major effective life. It will
become one if I believe it is.
What roadblock are you using
as an excuse? I can’t do anything
because I don’t have any money, because I am single, because I am shy, because I
am old, because I don’t have any talents, because life is against me, because of
my parents, because of my nationality, because I have kids, because of my wife,
because I’m sick, because I’m too fat, too short, too ugly. Whatever the excuse you believe the truth is
you are right. Whatever your faith
covers you now have. But the truth is
people who have what you call a roadblock have believed that they didn’t matter
and they made a difference. They saw them not as roadblocks but
opportunities.
God wants to do unbelievable
things through me even if I am 66. It just
makes Him look better.
So what are you becoming because
of your belief?
I feel like opportunities diminish as we get older. I see my limited education as a hindrance to what I want to accomplish, and my age as a roadblock.
ReplyDeletei understand Carol. But a 14 year old played golf on Sunday in this past Master's Golf Tournament and an 80 year old Japanese man this past Thursday reached the top of Mt. Everest. I understand that no 14 year old had ever done that and that no 80 year old had ever climbed Mt. Everest.
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