Skip to main content

Time Tested Humility - Some Good Advice to Anyone, Anytime

It’s the Apostle Paul who says to his young disciple...a young Pastor in the first century who is named Titus...the following:
“An elder must love what is good, be sensible..”  (Titus 1:8)

It’s a good word, and there’s a part of me that wishes God would rain down large doses of it on the world, our cities, but especially our churches today.  Charles Swindoll reminds us what means by using the word Sensible.  The word is Sophron... It has in mind ‘thinking appropriately.’ It means you’re not given to extremes. You’re able to see between the lines and apply some common sense.”

I’d like to suggest that time tested humility is still very much in need.  We all have the tendency to make too much of ourselves, too much of our problems and too little of humility and having “good sense”.

Rick Reilly was a national sports reporter, commentator and journalist.  Back in 1998 he spoke to some graduating college Athletes who were going to become Pros.   In spite of some of the out of date items he references, the sensible advice he gives could still apply today – and not just to athletes, but politicians, CEO’s, and even Pastors today.

Thank you, graduates. Please be seated. It's an honor to address
the college athletes who are going on to the pros this year. If
I may, I'd like to offer just a few pieces of advice.
Every now and again turn off Nintendo, shut off Spectravision (computer video game) and open a book. We already have enough jocks who think the
Brothers Karamazov are the WWF tag-team champs.
If you ever hear yourself saying, "They offered me $81 million?
That's an insult!" find a tire iron, go into a quiet room and
hit yourself very hard on the shin.
Marry someone who has never heard of you.
Now that you've made it, practice twice as long as you did in
college. The hardest worker in the NBA is Michael Jordan. What
does that tell you?
If you write a book, read it before it comes out.
Be careful with your money. Write your own checks. None of this
power-of-attorney crap. Get an agent and a lawyer, and tell each
the other's a crook.
Shock the world: Apologize when you screw up.
Don't buy a Vanderbilt mansion just because you can. Do you know
how many 50-room jock palaces I've been in with two rooms' worth
of furniture?
Never, ever rip a teammate.
Spread the jing around. There's nothing uglier than a man in a
$3,000 Armani stiffing a coat-check girl.
O.K., so you didn't grow up with a father. Then go be one. Make
a difference in the life of one kid who is not your own, and
it'll give you more joy than a lifetime shoe contract.
Just a reminder: You will die someday.
Stop thumping your chest. The line blocked, the quarterback
threw you a perfect spiral while getting his head knocked off,
and the good receiver drew double coverage. Get over yourself.
Give the bodyguard the night off once in a while and wade into
the people. Some are sort of cool.
Loosen up a little with the quotes. This isn't a congressional
budget hearing. Why say, "I really was shooting well today" when
you could say, "I was hotter than a three-dollar pistol."
Once a season, let your offensive guard spike the ball.
See the woman up there in section 595, row WW, seat 29? She
makes $26,000 a year, paid $22 a ticket for her family and just
plunked down $17 for three Cokes and a warm beer. Treat her
nice. Without her, you're a 320-pound bouncer with half a P.E.
degree.
Go easy on the tattoos. By the time you're 60, that hula girl on
your biceps is going to look like Don Knotts.
This just in: You can do community service without being
sentenced. Try it. Have somebody leak it to the media. There are
worse things than people seeing a millionaire painting an old
lady's house.
Learn the piano. Try another language. Take up origami. It's
hard for you to believe now, but someday people are going to get
sick of hearing about the crosscourt forehand that beat Sampras.
Once a year take your free tickets, walk through the stands in
your uniform, go outside the ballpark and give them to the kids
hanging on the fence.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The difference between defending and explaining

The news of recent has focused the suffering of Christians in the middle east who have been martyred for their faith in Christ at the hands of Islamic Terrorists. Through the centuries many Christians have lost their lives as a result of their faith. For us, who live in America, there is little chance that we would have this happen here - but it's entirely possibly that terrorism will strike out at Christians sometime.  But, for many Christians in the western world - especially here in the U.S. - being a Christians who believes God's word there is a form of persecution that is defined by words like "ostracized", "passed over", "ridiculed", and more. What do we do in the face of opposition to faith? When the Apostle Peter writes to the early believers who are undergoing great pressure, even persecution for their faith in Jesus, he gives them this charge. 1 Peter 3:8-18 8  Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly lov

Wednesday, Day 25: Christmas Eve - God Loves Us (So We Can Relax)

For Kids: There’s a lot of things we have to do each day. Get up from our sleep, Get dressed, Eat Breakfast, Get ready for School, Listen to the teacher, play with friends, eat our lunch, and after it’s all done, go back home. There’s time to play, Then we eat our supper… And eventually we have to get ready for bed and go to sleep! And then we do it all over again the next day. Sometimes there’s a vacation - like right now - and we get more time to play, to have fun and not have to do work at school. Our parents are good at helping us know what time it is and what we need to do next – even when we don’t want to move on to the next thing.  God is also good at helping us know what time it is, and what is next.  He doesn’t shout at us, or yell, or even scream…he does it peacefully, quietly.  He wants us to understand that he does it, most of all, for us. Christmas can be quite busy and there’s lots of things going on at once…but let us not forg

The Tabernacle

The readings today are Exodus 36, 37, 38 I wanted to post some pictures of what these various parts of the Tabernacle looked like. It's not the easiest read in the world, but if you persevere through it, you can get a picture of all the different pieces that made up the tabernacle. It is a replica of the various parts of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness: First thing in the chapter listed is the outside of the tabernacle which consisted of curtains tied together and put on cross bars through loops. Next at the beginning of 37 is the table and lampstand: Also, the altar of incense: And, the altar for the burnt offering which was in the courtyard: Finally, the courtyard which made it all come together: Hope that helps with what it might have all looked like. Most importantly, this was their "place" of worship they were building. I hope you have a great day of worship. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad