Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.—Proverbs 4:23   I recently read about a giant oak tree that fell during a thunder storm accompained by high wind. From all outward appearance, the tree seemed to be in perfect health. No passerby would ever suspect that there was a problem and everyone was surprised by its sudden fall, after all it had withstood many storms before. It was not until after the fall that the fault was seen. The tree was diseased within. Deterioration on the inside had weakened the massive tree to the point that it could no longer withstand the storms.   Dear friend we often see the same sad story with people. You can probably think of someone who possessed all the qualities that you admire, someone who seemed to be able to stand-up against anything, someone whose life had been very fruitful, but then they fell. While you are shocked by their demise, if you could have seen what was going on within it would have been no surprise. Let their fall serve as a warning. It happened to them, it could happen to you!   When we neglect the inner life we put ourselves in grave danger. It all starts in the heart, but it doesn’t stay there. Corruption in the heart spreads to every area of life and eventually it weakens us to the point that we fall. Make it a regular habit to examine your heart every day with the search light of God’s Word. Confess every known sin and draw near to God. Doing so will prevent disaster.   The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be  ashamed . . .
2 Timothy 2:15

As a boy, the late Harry A. Ironside took a job working for a Christian cobbler named Dan Mackay. Ironside recalled how weary he became of pounding wet shoe leather until it was dry enough to use as a sole. What made it worse was there was another cobbler shop a block away that seemed to be very profitable, yet the owner did not pound the shoe leather at all; he simply nailed it wet to the shoes. When Ironside inquired about this “shortcut,” the dishonest cobbler said, “They come back all the quicker this way, my boy!” He relayed this to his boss, who stopped everything and explained that just as some are called to preach, so he was called to repair shoes and that only as he did this to the best of his ability would his testimony count for God.

Whatever position we hold, we are all called to be witnesses of Christ, but we cannot expect people to take stock in what we say about salvation unless we have first established our credibility through striving to do our best in the workplace. Today, begin building a reputation that will open the door for a rock-solid testimony in the future.

Every job is a self portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.
Anonymous                                            –from Turning Point (Scripture changed to KJV)

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.—1 Corinthians 1:4-5   The following true story from Senior Living serves to illustrate the glorious truth of which Paul spoke:

Commissioner Frederick Booth-Tucker of the Salvation Army was preaching in Chicago when a man stepped from the crowd and yelled out, “You can talk about how Christ is dear to you; but if your wife were dead, as my wife is, and you had babies crying for their mother, you couldn’t say what you are saying.”

A few days later, Booth-Tucker lost his wife in a tragic train accident. Her body was returned to Chicago for the funeral.

As the service concluded, the husband took his place by the casket and said, “The other day when I was preaching in this city, a man said that if my wife were dead and my children were crying for their mother, I couldn’t say Christ was sufficient. If that man is here, I tell him Christ is sufficient! My heart is crushed, bleeding, and broken. But there is a song in my heart, and Christ put it there. The Savior speaks comfort to me today.”

The man was present, and on hearing that, he came down the aisle to surrender his life to the Lord.

No matter the tragedies we face-death, sickness, loneliness, hurt, persecution, and so on-Christ is sufficient in them all. Isn’t it comforting to know our Lord knows our pain-literally? Isn’t it reassuring to know we have a God who will be there to pick us up when we fall, carry us when we’re too weak, and never leave our side through it all?

If you’ve experienced loss, anguish, or some other affliction, trust in the Lord to walk with you through it. And use your experience to comfort the hearts of others who are also going through affliction.

Ask the Lord to comfort you in affliction and help you to comfort those who are experiencing the same situations

Some people just don’t get it. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:   After dinner on Mother’s Day a mother was washing the dishes when her teenage daughter wandered into the kitchen. Horrified to see her mother at the sink, she exclaimed, “Oh, Mama, you shouldn’t have to do dishes on Mother’s Day.” The mother was touched by this seeming thoughtfulness and was about to take off her apron and give it to her daughter when the daughter added,” They’ll keep till tomorrow.” Sadly, that’s about as far as some go when it comes to honoring their mother. All they think about is what mom can do for them. They think it unreasonable to reciprocate. They are like the little girl who was looking at a picture of her mom and dad on their wedding day. She asked her father,”Daddy, is that the day you got mom to come to work for us?”   The wonder of it all is that mothers love them anyway! You’ve got to admit–Mother’s are amazing!

The following story is about a mother, but it has a very powerful message for all of us:

A widow whose children had left her one by one to go to the “new country” (as she called it) heard each of them promise to save money and to send for her “very soon.” Time passed; the children married and had children, but no mention came of sending for the old mother. She longed to see them, but thinking they lacked the means, she saved up enough money herself to pay them a surprise visit. But, her reception was the reverse of what she had fondly anticipated. Her children, who had prospered, seemed annoyed at their mother’s coming, criticized her old-fashioned dress and speech, and had no room for her. The disappointed woman came back and entered a home for the aged, where she proved a blessing to all about her, shedding on those around her the love that her own children had rejected. No bitterness remained in the heart of the aged saint. “It seems to me that I knew what our Lord suffered,” she told a friend, “when He came to His own dear people and they gave Him the cold shoulder. Just think! He came unto His own and His own received Him not! I can understand how that wounded His loving heart.” Yet she could praise God for the experience since it drew her closer to her Savior and made her more compassionate toward others. (copied)

Sometimes we just have to make the best of a bad situation.We can’t control what others do, but we can choose our response. And, we are responsible for our response. It is always our duty to demonstrate Christ-like love. When we do everyone benefits.