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TWENTY some years ago, a young man arrived on a certain campus with suit case, tuition and the usual package of hopes an dreams, and a small plaque upon which were written the words, "I'M third." Soon thereafter this plaque fount a place front and center on his desk. Whenever any one asked him what it meant, he'd replied, "I'll tell you the day I graduate from college." Four
years later, he explained, "When I left home to attend school, my
parents asked I that do well, make good grades and good friends. Perhaps
find some distinction with one
of the athletic teams. But above all, they wanted me to put God first
in my life, the other fellow second, and myself third.
This is what this plaque means and has meant to me all this time."
After
his explanation, which he gave several times during this day, there was
always silence among his friends. They were thinking back to young
freshman who was somehow different from everyone else--elected president
of his class, captain of the football team and voted the most popular
man on campus, who somehow had a confidence beyond his years and a
remarkable control for one so young.
Life is a numbers game, a day-by-day choosing of who and what we put first.
The
age-old joke about the man who had a love affair going on with himself
isn't funny-for it is a description of all those people who cannot get
along with people, who love themselves first and remember God only when
it is necessary or
when they are afraid. Jesus' first and second commandments are not just
a religious requirement; they are a logical necessity.
WHAT I THINK has to pass through some court of appeal before I act either for a stamp of approval or rejection.
If
I'm third, my every action had to filter through God's love and law,
then through its possible effect on my neighbor and finally to me. By
that time, it may look entirely different from what I first had thought.
There are 25,480 days in the average lifetime. I've lived longer than that
and then some.. I wish all my decisions had been flavored by God's will
and my brother's need. I'd be better off and so would the world. It's
a rather constant prayer now, "God, what would you have me do? How will
it affect my fellowman?" It's also a constant battle because the old
ego dies hard in all of us.
The
great Apostle once wrote, "Paul, a prisoner of Christ. . . ." We are
all prisoner., of someone or something: of our loves or hates, of our
faith or doubts, of life and its problems or Christ and his answers.
Every time we say what we are going to do or be, something led us to the
decision.
Try giving yourself away, that's the way one man put it. He even wrote a book about it.
David
Dunn says, "Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life as a
process of getting .... In this humdrum world there is altogether too
much grubbing and too little giving. ... I recommend giving as an
exciting and thoroughly satisfying hobby. . . . Fortunately each of us
has a different assortment of gifts .... Some of us have spare time;
others have surplus mental or physical energy; others have a special
art, skill or talent; still others have ideas, imagination, the ability
to organize, the gift of leadership. AU of us can give appreciation,
kindness, interest, loyalty, understanding, encouragement, tolerance
-and a score of other little portions of ourselves" (Try Giving Yourself Away).
IF
EVER wisdom was laid at the door to your heart, it was in Christ's
commandment to love. The world is full of complaint; but seldom do I
hear anyone claim that he is loved too much . Christian love is a daily
miracle; otherwise it becomes the drudgery of duty.
Christian
love simply does for Christ what selfishness does for money. The
Christian gives himself away to people because he has already given
himself away to God. The Christian doesn't complain that he's being
taken advantage of, because what others may call a cross he calls a joy.
Christians
are, above all else, in a constant state of being aware. Christ stands
with them at the window of their soul and together they look for
opportunities to be just plain nice.
Like a Boston businessman who stopped every Wednesday afternoon by a small orphanage to be a father to some of the boys--like a retired railroad engineer who minded small
grocery store each day between twelve and one so the widow-mother could
feed her children without interruption at lunch--like some of the
people in church and community who don't look for excuses to complain
but rather for opportunities to love.
You can fail to love refuse to love, mock love as weakness, patience as foolishness and understanding as archaic and unworkable.
You
can "wrap (love) carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries,
avoid all entanglements, lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your
selfishness.
But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change.
It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, imenetrable, irredeemable." (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves)
It will be dead and so will you.
POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITING SUNDAY MARCH 4..SOME THOUGHTS ON ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY
So why don't we chase after humility and accept it on bended knee? Ah, the answer is simple enough. "We'd like to be humble, but what if no one notices?"
(To read the rest of the thoughts on arrogance and humility
click on the following
Yes, God loves you the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
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GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and
appreciation of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his
strength."
Lt. Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is an
extremely well written book that investigates what might be termed the
spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the
President and with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn
"Wyrick
has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of
American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and
readable book that has a rich depth of information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian minister
"When
it comes to invoking religion in support of any of their decisions,
politicians need to sit at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr
once called him 'America's greatest theologian.' Why so great? Because
he invariably distinguished between human works and the works of the
Almighty. As Wyrick
says, 'He wore the mantle of humility easily: because he was more
impressed with what God was doing in the world than with what he,
president of the United States in the midst of an awful crisis, was
doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished between
both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.'
Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of
politics than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book
for our American time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career,
Wyrick compels us to remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends politics."
Dr. Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"v. Neil
Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham Lincoln's
Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history. Should
have a wide readership."
James H. Smylie Professor of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read
by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably the most
complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so
often expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip
service to a Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real
God. It was this faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight
and sometimes steel that Lincoln would need in full measure
as he led the United States through the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear
and unpretentious style of presentation is very much in keeping with the
character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick makes his point very
well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed them, are as
relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard
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