This Week's Story
click here to play audioWinning or losing could be the prize.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
"Is that possible?" "No!"
“Americans, we may catch the disease of nasty argument to support our opinions. The prescription is: Be quick to judge what we do not know. We will not be slowed by negotiation.” We can assume that God made a mistake when He gave us ears and eyes. Calm discussions or contests with fair rules will disappear. Our terms will be: win or lose.
We will lose. Winning or losing could be our prize as Michael Jordan, the phenomenal basketball player indicated,
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. But that is why I succeed.”
He said, “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Shibby Robati in the Apprentice amidst its ripping words said, “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
Groucho Marx, a marvelous weird comedian, said, “Don’t let the fear of the thorn keep you from the rose.”
We are experienced with defeat, fear, and loss. We’ve heard, “You’re fired.”
“You’re no good! Why should I want you?”
“Oh----I can’t. What if I make a fool of myself?”
“Do you know how hard it is for me? Of course, you don’t!”
Benjamin Franklin’s reply would be, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for any thing else.”
The Bible is a mine of wisdom diamonds. They are antidotes for the disease of judging what we think we know, but do not know.
One is in Proverbs 25:27. “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.” We might say: Too much honey is like too much glory.
Romans 3:10 is more pointed, “None is righteous, no, not one.” Those words remove the right to judge what we do not know.
I remember Papa saying to me, “Barbara, do not wear your halo too tightly.” Wow! Those words continue to ring in my mind and may they keep doing so, especially when I get irritated with politicians and their critics, or when I want to repeat criticism.
A game of mental tug-of- war stretches our skills. It is like the idea in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
In Philippians 2:3 Paul sets the runner’s bar high. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
It is not surprising that in 1777 when the first textbook was printed in America, it was filled with practical wisdom for how to use what we could become. Until 1900 it was a principal textbook in the new nation.
In the 1700’s Ben Franklin added much stimulation and enrichment to American newspapers, discussions, and documents. He had a sharp warning. “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
This is Barbara Steiner and Nathan Thomas thankful for God’s wisdom.
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From Frank
This is one lesson, we can all obviously take to heart. If we don’t humble ourselves in the wisdom of Jesus, and serve others, then what good are we?
Response by Elizabeth at This Week's Story
And, as simple as that sounds, it is not easy.
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