Sometimes there are effects of our influence that we may never know. G. Brook Adams kept a diary from his boyhood. One special day when he was eight years old, he wrote in his diary, “Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life.” Throughout the next 40 years of his life he never forgot that day he went fishing with his father, he made repeated references to it in his diary, commenting on the influence of that day on his life.

Brook’s father was an important man; he was Charles Francis Adams, the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain under the Lincoln administration. Interestingly, he too made a note in his diary about the fishing trip. He wrote simply, “Went fishing with my son; a day wasted.”

Of course the day was not wasted; its value may well have proved to make it one of the most well-spent days in his life. No one can measure the influence of a man on his children, and that is all the more reason to take the job and its responsibilities seriously.

Someone has written, “last night my little boy confessed to me some childish wrong; and kneeling at my knee, he prayed with tears, ‘O Lord, make me a man like Daddy-wise and strong. I know you can.’ Then while he slept, I knelt beside his bed, confessed my sins and prayed with low-bowed head, ‘O God, make me a child like my child here; pure, guileless, trusting thee with faith sincere.’ “—copied

What kind of a father are you?

Contentment is never the result of multiplying riches, increas­ing pleasures, or gaining fame. All these only incite discontent, for when one obtains them, he finds he still is not satisfied. Con­tentment does not depend upon things on the outside, but results from conditions on the inside! Paul had suffered more for the sake of Christ than probably anyone else (2 Cor. 11:23-28); yet this is the man who says, “I am content.” The apostle was able to interpret all the experiences of life in terms of God’s will for his eternal good (Rom. 8:28). Paul did not come to this happy philosophy of life in a moment. He says, “I have learned . . . to be content.” Aspiring to be what we are not, or grasping after riches which elude us, is not the way to happiness. We must rather do our very best with God’s help to accomplish our life’s task with the talents and opportunities He presents.

In his famous lecture on “Clocks and Watches,” Dr. Joseph Parker related the following story: A little watch, delicately strung, was dissatisfied with its restricted sphere of influence in a lady’s pocket. It envied the position of Big Ben, the great tower clock. One day as it passed with her ladyship over London’s Westminster Bridge, the tiny watch exclaimed, “I wish I could go up there! I could then serve multitudes, instead of just one individual.” “You shall have your opportunity, small watch,” she said. The lecturer then dramatically described how the pocket timepiece was drawn up the side of the mammoth tower by a slender thread. When it reached the top, it was completely lost to view. In his dramatic way, Dr. Parker concluded his lecture by exclaiming, “Its elevation had become its annihilation!”

Pray that you too may not lose the small influence you now have for Christ by coveting something larger for which you are not equipped, and which God constantly refuses you in His love.

Discontent makes rich men poor, while contentment makes poor men rich (From Our Daily Bread)

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. –Philippians 1:21

Isaac Asimov tells the story of a rough ocean crossing during which a Mr. Jones became terribly seasick. At an especially rough time, a kindly steward patted Jones on the shoulder and said, “I know, sir, that it seems awful. But remember, no man ever died of sea-sickness.” Mr. Jones lifted his green countenance to the steward’s concerned face and replied, “Man, don’t say that! It’s only the wonderful hope of dying that keeps me alive.”

There’s more in Jones’ words than a touch of irony. I hear echoes of Paul’s words to the Philippians. He said that the wonderful hope of dying kept him going (Php 1:21). Yet he wasn’t merely looking for relief from his suffering. Paul’s hope was rooted in Christ, who died on the cross for sinners, who rose from the grave that first Easter morn, who was alive in heaven, and who would one day take Paul into His presence.

But how did the hope of seeing Christ, either at death or when He returned, keep Paul going? It gave meaning to every moment. It gave him reason to live in behalf of Christ. It gave him incentive to focus on others who needed his encouragement. Paul had come to know Christ as his very life.

Father, thank You for the risen Christ-our reason for living. -Mart De Haan

A wonderful joy is now flooding my heart,
Giving assurance that will not depart.
My Savior is living and reigning above;
Life has rich meaning because of His love. -Bosch

Those who are prepared to die are most prepared to live

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?—Ecclesiastes 2:1-2

Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, said, “Living for your own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a person can do. If his neighbors don’t kill him in disgust, he will die slowly of boredom and powerlessness.”

It has also been said that the only cure for hedonism is to try to practice it. If you go after pleasure, you will quickly see the emptiness of it.

Of course, the pursuit of pleasure is nothing new. As Solomon reminds us a number of times in the Book of Ecclesiastes, when you boil it down, there is nothing new under the sun. Though our technology has changed and we have had certain advancements since Solomon wrote those words, the basic cravings of humanity have not changed. The basic things people look to have not changed either. The philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry” has been with us for a long time.

Solomon once decided to pursue everything this world had to offer. Then he came to realize there was nothing to profit from under the sun. It was only when he looked above the sun and looked to God that he found the answers he was seeking. In other words, when we see God for who He is, we will see the world for what it is.

If you have a close relationship with God and are walking intimately with Him, then you will see this world for what it is. You will recognize the philosophies and concepts and ideologies our culture propagates that are contradictory to what the Bible teaches. And when you are walking closely with God, you will see the emptiness and the futility of the things people chase after.—by Greg Laurie

But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.–1 Thessalonians 2:7-8   As I read the following article from Senior Living I couldn’t help but think of Roy Orbison’s haunting song,”Only The Lonely”. Hopefully after reading this we will all think more about those who are lonely.

From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time, he was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, and chained to a wall, kept in absolute silence.

Reed was beaten, made ill, and tormented, but he felt the most hopeless because it seemed that no one cared. He said in an interview with Time magazine, “Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]…. I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone.”

Christians are never truly alone because we are fortunate to have God’s gracious watch care over our lives, as well as that of the Church. This type of caring can provide the strength needed for a believer to endure anything.

Do you know someone who feels as though no one cares for them? Can you think of a few people right now who are living in loneliness? We have been called as believers to minister to those who are lonely. And in turn, we never have to be lonely because there are other believers who will care for us.

Remember the promise of Jesus: “—Verily I say unto you, Insomuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

Ask the Lord to open the doors of opportunity for you to pour out love, care, and concern for someone who needs it, just as Jesus did.