Examples are the Only Thing in Life

Pastor Benson has two little kids: Andy, who is five years old, and Charlie, who is four. Benson tries to be a good father to his little boys. He is a handsome young man even though he is as bald as a vulture. One day, the whole family is busy preparing to honour a wedding invitation. Benson goes and shaves himself and goes on to dress up. He comes out a few minutes later and what does he see? Little Andy has gotten hold of his father's electric shaver and shaved a big express way right down the middle of his head. Benson is furious. He says, “Andy! Didn’t I tell you never to play with my shaver. Now you are going to get a spanking you will never forget!” He was just about to administer the spanking when Andy looks up at him and says, “Wait till you see Charlie!” Benson and his wife are simply horrified when they go into the washroom and see their little four-year-old boy with all of the hair gone, looking like a little skinned rabbit. By this time, Benson is really furious. He grabs up Andy and says, “Now you are really going to get it.” Just as he lifts his hand and starts to bring it down, Andy looks up at him with tears in his eyes and said, “But Daddy! We were just trying to be like you!” Well, Andy did not get a spanking, instead he got a hug.

REFLECTION

What we do before our subjects matter and go a long way to influencing their lives. We are models"Example is not the only thing in life but the main thing in life"

THE HUNTER'S QUESTION

Among the fables of Aesop is one entitled The Hunter and the Woodman. A Hunter was searching for the tracks of a Lion. He asked a man felling oaks in the forest if he had seen any marks of the lion’s footsteps or knew where his lair was. “Oh yes,” said the Woodman, “I will take you to the Lion himself.” The Hunter turned pale from fear and stuttered, “No, thanks. I did not ask that; it is only his track that I am looking for, not the Lion himself.”

REFLECTION

In our dealings with God and with one another we are often like this hunter. We profess that we stand for something but when the full implication of what we profess stare us in the face we draw back.

The Woman and Her He-goat

A preacher notices a woman in the congregation who begins to weep as soon as he begins to preach. Thinking he has made a big catch he preaches with even greater fervour. The more he preaches, the more the woman cries. Finally, the preaching over, it is time to give testimonies.

The preacher points to the woman and says, “Sister, I can see you were mightily moved as we proclaimed the word of God. Now can you please share with us what it was that convicted your spirit so much.” The woman hesitates, but the pastor insists so she comes up and takes the microphone. “You see,” she begins, “Last year I lost my he-goat, the most precious thing I possessed. I prayed and cried much over it and then I forgot all about it. But as soon as you came out to preach and I saw your beard, it reminded me all over again of the he-goat. I still cry whenever I remember it.”

REFLECTION

She did not remember one word of what the preacher said. Possessions are necessary for life. But possessions can assume such an importance in one’s life that they become obsessions. When one is so consumed with the things that one could have, so much so that one no longer hears the urgent call of God, then one has indeed got one’s priorities all mixed up.

Time Management

One day a time management expert was speaking to a group of business students. As he stood in front of the high powered achievers he said, "OK it is time for quiz"

The man pulled out a one-gallon wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them one at a time into into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no other rocks would fit inside, he then asked , "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said "yes" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He then dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing the pieces of gravel to work down themselves into the space left between the rocks. Then he asked the class once more: " Is the jar full?" "Probably not" one of them answered. "Good" he replied.He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping some sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question" 'Is this jar full?" "No" the class shouted. Once again, he said "Good" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.

At this point he looked at the class and asked,"What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, " No matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it" "No" the speaker replied, " That's not the point" The truth this illustration teaches us is: "if you don't put in the big rocks first, you will never put them in at all.

REFLECTION

What are the big rocks in your life? They may be the needs of your family/children, your education, your dreams,etc. Remember to put them in first or you will never put them in at all.

Many thanks to Larry Whitecomb.

HYPOCRISY

One Sunday morning, a 2000 congregation gathered in the church and was surprised to see two men enter the church, both covered from head to toe, and carrying sub-machine guns.

One of the men ordered" Any one willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are" Immediately, the choir fled, and almost all other members of the church fled. Out of the 2000 worshippers, there remained a little girl and an aged woman.

The man who had spoken took off his hood, looked at the priest and said, "Okay, You can begin the mass, i have got rid of hypocrites. Have a nice Sunday." And the two men turned and walked away.

REFLECTION

" I would rather be in hell with Christ than go to heaven with Satan" King Martin Luther, Jr.