Today I was in the home of a couple who have been married for 61 years! Again, sixty-one years!

That is a long time. Marriages that last that long are very few and rare. In their home, I noticed that this frame was hanging on the wall (sorry for the glare). And it was only fitting – only a man who continually views his wife as “the catch of his life” will know how to make a marriage last that long. 

Men, lets be thankful for our wives and the Great catch they are to us!

Jeremy Lin is a committed follower of Jesus. This video is him talking about it.
Notice that this is him sharing his testimony well before all of his recent fame came.

 

http://youtu.be/p6bmaynTY_E

http://youtu.be/zxcWrgcH118

I was doing some reading today on J.C. Ryle writing on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

I was struck by this paragraph.

“Now, if these words mean anything, a Christian ought to be ready to show kindness and brotherly love to every one that is in need. Our kindness must not merely extend to our families, our friends, and relations. We must love all men, and be kind to all, whenever occasion requires. We must be aware of an excessive strictness in scrutinizing the past lives of those who need our aid. Are they in real trouble? Are they in real distress? Do they really want help? Then according to the teaching of this parable, we ought to be ready to assist them. We should regard the whole world as our parish, and the whole race of mankind as our neighbors. We should seek to be the friend of every one who is oppressed, or neglected, or afflicted, or sick, or in prison, or poor, or an orphan, or a heathen, or a slave, or an idiot, or starving, or dying. We should exhibit such world-wide friendship, no doubt, wisely, discreetly, and with good sense, but of such friendship we never need be ashamed. The ungodly may sneer at it as extravagance and fanaticism. But we need not to mind that. To be friendly to all men in this way, is to show something of the mind that was in Christ.”

Can you think about how differently Christ, Christianity, and the church would be viewed in the world if we all understood this quote and thought?

Paul is arguably the greatest missionary/evangelist/church-planter ever! He is the main one in the New Testament. And when it came time to pass the torch/ pour into the next guy/ mentor/ and leave the work in someone else’s hands He chose Timothy.

First and Second Timothy are two personal letters that Paul wrote to younger Timothy explaining and encouraging him to keep going strong for Jesus.

Timothy was a man with a “sincere faith” and full of understanding from the Scriptures. So God had saved Timothy and led him to Paul, and Paul was mentoring him and preparing him to continue the work.

So the question is, how did Timothy become so solid? so faithful? so grounded and godly?

Lois and Eunice were some of the key ingredients. Eunice was Timothy’s mother, and Lois was his grandmother. Paul said they that had a “sincere faith” too. In chapter 3 verses 14-15 Paul reminds Timothy to:

“continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

This awesome young man of God, Timothy, who Paul saw and mentored to take his place had been taught and raised by his mother and grandmother “to learn” the Bible, to “firmly believe,” knowing from whom he learned it. In all likelihood, Timothy could say that God used the good godly upbringing of his mom and grandma to make him into the man he was.

That’s awesome! I have three sons right now. JJ is 4 years old. Eli is 2, almost 3. And Noah is one. I have only one great desire for them- that they know and love Jesus. He is the only thing that will satisfy them.

What I am doing right now will help determine that. What we do tonight and tomorrow morning (and every future night and morning) will help contribute to that.

I wish I knew more of what Lois and Eunice did. What was their secret formula to raise a son like that? But I do know this, they taught him the Word of God from infancy. And that takes lots of time.

As a parent, I want to be like Lois and Eunice.

Last week I was meeting and visiting with a family at the funeral home, and I had a true blessing happen to me.

I was in the middle of a long, full week. I was busy and tired. I wasn’t lacking focus. I was just dialed in and moving swiftly from one responsibility to the next.

This moment I was at the funeral home talking with a family that I had never met before as I was preparing for a funeral that I would do the following day. After those conversations were over I was headed toward the entrance when a new gentleman stopped me and introduced himself. We spoke for about 2-3 minutes about the deceased and this gentleman’s relationship to him. He said what most people say in that he appreciates me being there for them during this tough time. We had a nice, little, cordial talk right there in the hall way. Then he proceeded on, but just as we were walking away, he turned around and said,

“Hey, You’re Awesome!”

It stunned me. That was about a week ago, and I am still being impacted by it.

Not because I am awesome. I know I am not. (Jesus is.)

Not because he said it. I can understand him being thankful for visiting his family without knowing them. And thats his way of saying thanks. And people sometimes say random things to people.

It stunned me because Words have power! Words build up! It made me feel good. It really did. And that doesn’t mean I am shallow. It means words can build people up. I walked out of that funeral home cheesing like never before. I was skipping and singing. All because of his words to me.

God says:

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” -Proverbs 25:11

and

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” -1 Thessalonians 5:11

and

“…but only (talk) such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” -Ephesians 4:29

It has been 7 days since that happened. And I am still thinking about it. I wonder if the way I speak to people ever makes their day better. I wonder if anyone goes home after talking with me and for days is smiling because of something I said to them.

That gentleman sure did pick me up last week. Just by saying a few words to me that built me up. Thank you sir. My day and life are better because of those words. Just as God says in His word.

Lets Give it a try! Lets start using our words to make people better. Lets start being used by God with “fitly spoken words.”