One of the greatest joys of my life has been sitting around breakfast with a few honest men and listening to their wisdom, jokes, and hurts. I have heard some of the best thoughts from these guys and recorded them in my journal. The ultimate compliment I can give a man is “That comment made my journal.” Some of these lines may not be original, but that is OK. I enjoyed every one. Here are some of the best:
“I have been healed from the need to be healed.”
“There is beauty in death,” said a man as he raked his leaves in the fall.
“I have always found it most useful to talk to God instead of talking about Him which always seems to have some self-assured arrogance to it.”
“God created the whole universe, all the stars, the whole earth, and every creature in it; He doesn’t need my help to fix me.”
“Don’t invalidate another’s pain by refusing the listen to their heart.”
“Many want to be servants of the Lord, but only in an advisory capacity.”
“God does not appreciate what He does not initiate. He is the Author and Finisher.”
“Going into debt is a good way to circumvent God’s plan and ways.”
A small daughter asked her mother why some people were so mean. Her mom responded, “Hearts are made two ways: Some are full with what they are given no matter how small. Others can never forget what they don’t have.”
“I was more interested in victory than in saving my reputation.” (A man who took the risk to publicly acknowledge his addiction to pornography in a men’s meeting. He told me two years later he was still free.)
“Scratch a tin god and you will find a fallen idol. When you get under the surface of a tin god, you will find the inside is not like the outside. He is already a fallen idol, but you don’t see it until you scratch below the surface. As Proverbs 26:23 says, ‘Fervent lips and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel over laid with silver dross.’ So be sure to scratch below the surface before following or endorsing any man.”
“Are you worshipping the Lord or worshipping your worship?”
“If you let a controller control you or an intimidator intimidate you, it is your fault, not theirs.”
“The way to conquer rejection is to come to the God of all comfort.”
“A good man, like a good horse, has to be broken to be useful. ‘The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.’”
“What you think about when you are alone is who you really are.”
“Beware of the ‘Second Annual.’ Just because the Lord was in it the first time does not mean we have to continue the tradition.”
“Life is hard on the person who is too easy on himself.”
“The best things come when we aren’t looking for them, because God likes to surprise us.”
“If God is all-powerful, I have nothing against Him.”
“The harder we fight against something, the more power we give it. We lose our strength to it, and we become like what we react to.”
“If you plant the seeds and the roots go down, they save the soil. So when our roots go down in Jesus He saves the soul.”
“The strength of the tool you use to get something will be the strength of your ability to keep it. If I manipulate to get it I have to manipulate more to keep it. If I use promotion to get something, I have to promote more. If I love and get it, love increases. So the foundation is important.”
“When we are strong in an area, we tend to ‘do it ourselves’ instead of relying on the Lord, and get worn out and burn out.”
“God can bless You by the rules.” (I had been tempted to twist the rules to get what I wanted. This word came from an elder who corrected my thinking.)
“I have noticed three stages of rejection: First, I reject myself. Second, I fear rejection, brace myself for it and it surely comes. Third, I beat others to the gun and reject them first, so as not to get hurt.”
“My grunting and grimacing at the gym are like political speeches. They give the illusion that I am really doing something.”
“You know you are a true servant when you act like one when it is expected.”
Jim: My motto is “Doing for others as I would have God do for me.”
Excellent! Keepers!