What is a Home?

Weekly Thought – June 12, 2018

Fred enjoyed the mutuality of friendship and the benefits of stimulating thought. He assembled a group for a weekend of conversation – no agenda, just interesting people with the ability to prompt interchange. As a follow-up he asked them to send thoughts, articles, or other correspondence to each of the others. He called them “The twenty-five.” This week’s thought is one of his offerings based on a visit to the new home of a longtime friend.

Fall is coming for the What’s Next Roundtable. Please continue praying for these conversation and connection times with college students in three states. We appreciate your support through encouraging words, prayer, and financial gifts. Thank you for standing with us.

What is a Home?

1. A home is a place to grow older together happily knowing “the best is yet to be.” No “yellowing of the leaves” happening to the leaves of love.

2. There must be a natural place to eat and talk – an atmosphere, not necessarily a designated space.

3. There should be a selection of spots for conversation, both large and small. There should also be an outside place where the greater work of God joins with the handiwork of man giving an extra dimension.

4. If possible, an extra space for guests which they can make their own without interrupting the natural flow of the house. To have a place where guests sleep is good, but giving them a space to read, listen to music, think about the day, and relax in the bathtub.

5. A house should be functional, for after all it is not a display but a happiness factory for those who live in it. It’s basic raison d’etre is utility for people. It exists to provide those who live there the ability to accomplish their goals without inflating their egos to their detriment.

6. A home should be a place where things worth doing occur.

7. A home should have a sense of beauty, no matter what its size. It must appreciate, not depreciate the environment. It must give warmth and comfort showing the beauty of hospitality.

8. A home is not an investment in money alone, but in living. It should never be primarily viewed as a good financial decision. A home should have the quality of a nest with the occupants nestled down for the foreseeable future. It can be a wise financial consideration, but it should always be thought of as the place for family to live and prosper.

9. One practical note: the mortgage should be as small as possible so financial pressures don’t pollute the environment. The full enjoyment of relational growth and connection should be the focus, not the worries of satisfying creditors.

10. A home should represent the cradle of relationships with family, friends, and Christ.

This week think about: 1) How is my home creating and development peace and harmony? 2) What can I do this week to encourage connection in my home? 3) When do I feel most satisfied in my home?

Words of Wisdom: A home is a place to grow older together happily knowing “the best is yet to be.”

Wisdom from the Word: “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:22 NET Bible)

Intro to Mentor

Weekly Thought – June 5, 2018

Fred was known as a “mentor to a generation of leaders.” Through the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute his legacy of mentoring continues. The “What’s Next Roundtable” focuses on mentoring, networking, and persevering. For the month of June the Weekly Thoughts will shine a light on principles of leadership Fred saw in his mentor, Maxey Jarman. This is Fred’s introduction to the article.

Intro to Mentor

I first met Maxey Jarman back in the mid-thirties when I was about twenty. I had been teaching a Sunday School class in a nurses’ training program at Nashville General Hospital. One of the attendees became an industrial nurse, and she introduced me to her boss, the director of personnel. I said to myself, “I’d like a job like that.” I had no training or experience, but I knew General Shoe (later GENESCO) was one company in town where there might be such a position. So, I decided to meet the President, Maxey Jarman.

Maxey always bought gas at the station next to the plant. I waited until he drove up in his red Chrysler, then walked over and introduced myself. We just shook hands. He probably thought it was very strange, but in his early thirties he was rather shy and not very gregarious.

Mary Alice and I had just married and rented out one of our two bedrooms to a factory worker at General Shoe. She told me of some labor problems at work, and I called Mr. Jarman, offering my viewpoint. He invited me to his office. We had a very short conversation, and I heard no more about it. But he impressed me so much I decided to join the men’s Bible class he taught. They had me lead the singing and eventually elected me president of the class.

One Wednesday night after church in 1941, Maxey invited me to have a Coke at the Rexall Drug. We sat on fountain stools, and he asked me what I planned to do in life. “I’d like to be a personnel man,” I told him. He asked if I had any experience, and I said, “No, I’ve never even seen a personnel department. But I met a guy who’s a personnel man, and I’d like that kind of work.”

That night I told Mary Alice I thought he would offer me a job, and no matter what he offered, I was going to take it because I wanted to be associated with him. I sensed then I wanted to know him and work for him for life. There was something significantly different about this man. Being a preacher’s kid in the poor part of town, I’d become cynical about Christians. But Maxey personified reality. This was so valuable to me at that time…here was a real man, a genuine person; and our years of friendship intensified that evaluation. When he offered me a position in personnel, I was elated.
I had never seen a man so serious about wanting to reach the truth. For forty-three years I wrote my observations of Maxey on scraps of paper, everything from church bulletins to napkins. Last year I compiled them – 500 pages of separate paragraphs. I spent three weeks at our lake house doing little but reading and thinking. When I told him about this, he said, “I’m amazed. What a waste of time!”

This week think about:1) Who has influenced my life like Maxey Jarman impacted Fred? 2) What lessons have I learned from my mentors? 3) How have I studied my mentors and put the lessons into play?

Words of Wisdom: “But Maxey personified reality… here was a real man, a genuine person.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.” (2 Chronicles 1:10 NET Bible)

Character Matters

Fred’s library included books on speaking, elocution, and famous orators. He studied style, delivery, and content. As a lifelong learner he focused on clarity in his speaking and writing. He enjoyed tracing philosophical thought through generations, as well.

Character Matters
Browsing through a book flea market, I found a large four hundred fifty page leather bound, gilt-edged volume of “Famous After Dinner Speeches” delivered between 1875 and 1895 in Boston and New York. After digging deeply for the nickel it cost, I took it home and began reading through them.
In those speeches were many issues completely relevant today. As I studied them I saw a common thread: dignity. “A man is honored for what he gives, not for what he gets.”
In this time (1981) I see an attack on this principle. Recent surveys show that the “I am for #1” is the primary motivator. The sale of books on aggression and winning by intimidation regardless of the effect on character have skyrocketed. We are changing our definition of good and evil. That is vital. When we redefine the base as noble, our foundational values are gone. I see this change coming quickly and needs reversing.
When I was a kid among the poor (the socially acceptable phrase is underprivileged, but all we lacked was money – we had everything else, so I prefer to say poor) even the most impoverished had respect for Christian values. We had respect for those with strong character and integrity who didn’t get rich by whatever means were available. The ends definitely did not justify the means.
America operated on Christian principles, even if the population wasn’t scripturally based and “born again.” This is evaporating. The definitions of morality are being redone. I cannot think of anything more critical than understanding the source of definitions and the way we operate.
In business, leadership responsibility is perpetuity, not net profit. Profit is important because it allows for an ongoing institution, but it isn’t the basic principle. It is the responsibility of those privileged to lead to provide for the organization to continue. Inadequate management can wreak havoc on businesses that have provided livelihoods for employees and communities alike. Often it is a lack of character, short-term thinking, and failure to understand their leadership responsibilities.
Effective leadership precedes profit. Revenue is not the goal, but a means to the goal. Chasing money alone weakens an organization and often results in short-term decisions and compromise. It creates an environment which denies the dignity of longevity and perpetuity.
A value structure which has a long-term perspective is an essential part of dignity in business and in personal living. Allowing values to deteriorate into “whatever works” is the way to failure and defeat.

This week think about: 1) Fred saw these trends in 1981. What are you seeing today that concerns you in business, home, church, and community? 2) How are you creating personal habits to live with dignity? 3) Who is a leading influencer in your life?
Words of Wisdom: “Effective leadership precedes profit.”
Wisdom from the Word: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.” (Genesis 49:3 NET Bible)

God and America

Weekly Thought – May 22, 2018

Fred understood human nature better than most. He was never shocked because he grasped the depth of our depravity, but also celebrated the heights to which we could soar in the Spirit. He enjoyed thinking about philosophical elements of society. The separation of church and state is an example.

God and America

In their writings, memorials, statues, public utterances, and their deepest thoughts, our founding fathers demonstrated their faith in the Divine. When they advocated the separation of church and state were they being hypocritical? No, I think not. They simply understood it better than we do today. Separation was not to isolate or dwarf either.

We have confused the issue of religion in politics with the theory of separation. These are very different concepts which the media and unknowledgeable, biased people treat as synonymous.

The basic tenet of separation is to keep two major bureaucracies (church and state) from uniting and thereby combining treason and heresy under the same authority. If a person became offensive he could be declared treasonous and if that failed, marked as a heretic. The chance to escape was slight.

The union of church and state refused equal freedom to denominationalism. The elimination of choice between denominations would be extremely unhealthy. Personally, I know and respect a great many of the current religious leaders, but I do not know a single one I would risk handing over leadership for all of Christendom. The dispersion of church leadership is an advantage of denominationalism.

When a human leader has the choice between the visible power of politics with money/power and the invisible power of God, the temptation is great to turn toward the visible which can be controlled, neglecting the invisible which is intended to control him.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a revival of the concept of civil religion. To say that morality comes only from the Christian faith, in my view, is untrue. There is a great need for stronger morality in America. I am grateful for greater depth of our moral fiber. But I believe to say it can only come from Christians is not true.

I appreciate the effort to revitalize America. We need it. However, I am afraid of any group who indicates that when we choose them as leaders we automatically get the exclusive sponsorship of God. Quoting religious platitudes can hardly deliver God to our nation. Who knows if He is through with us, but if He is elections can’t return Him.

It is important that I am searching to be on God’s side, not promising that He is on mine. Am I saying religion (and Christian faith) should not enter into political decisions? Certainly not! To say a man’s convictions should be kept out of any of his decisions is to suggest he become schizophrenic. In seeing the validity of a man’s faith in his political life, we also see the wisdom of not creating a society in which a man could be hanged on the dual horns of treason and heresy.

This week think about: 1) How do I react to Fred’s thoughts on church/state? 2) Why do I participate in the political system? 3) When do I most effectively allow my faith to influence my work, church, family?

Words of Wisdom: “To say a man’s convictions should be kept out of any of his decisions is to suggest he become schizophrenic.”

Wisdom from the Word: “He said to them, ‘Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (Matthew 22:21 NET Bible)

American Musings

Weekly Thought – May 15, 2018

Fred’s early 1980s speeches reflect the depth of his thinking. He always went to the fundamental principles, then fleshed them out with current illustrations. These observations about America reflect the early weeks of Reagan’s administration.

American Musings

We have to think maybe the only real mandate President Reagan got from the people was to replace Jimmy Carter. He was elected, to my observations, not on confidence, but on hope. And hope is such a tenuous political emotion – so often disappointed. The masses knew we needed a change. It is still for this administration to establish that confidence so necessary for a leader if he is going to be truly constructive rather than a poll watcher. Sometimes I think we are getting to be political “poll cats.” Pardon the stinky pun.

Can we think together about what it takes to build confidence on hope’s foundation? America was built by confidence in the founding fathers whom we still revere. They were men who were willing to serve the nation even at a personal sacrifice. Now we have shifted to those who ask to run the country to take power, not to serve it. Those willing to serve were the statesmen while those anxious to serve are the politicians.

We must once again feel America has a destiny – more than survival. Mere survival will not inspire the energy and commitment w need for world leadership. As Faulkner said, “The life worth living does more than survive, it prevails.” When our highest concern is survival then compromise becomes our modus operandus. When communism first threatened the world those who chose survival were represented by the scholar who said, “Better Red than dead.”

Those who refuse to cave in to fear are saying with Solzhenitsyn “Better dead than a scoundrel.” He was willing to put aside risk survival for the life that prevails. He, like Bonhoeffer, was offered survival in exchange for compromise and silence. They both chose excellence over mere existence. Only when life is really worth living is it worth dying for.
I have had some concern that some of our past state department leaders have not believed us as a people capable of leading and therefore adopted compromise.

If the character of our people has weakened, if we have run our course in defense of freedom, and if leisure has become our goal, then compromise is all that is the only option open to us… and that will be for a short time. Compromise is a downward spiral, just as the prevailing attitude draws us upward.

This week think about: 1) How are these 1981 thoughts pertinent to today? 2) What did Fred see that I can apply to my own thinking this week? 3) When do I accept compromise in my work, faith, or family?

Words of Wisdom: “Only when life is really worth living is it worth dying for.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God.” (1 John 3:21 NET Bible)

What Does It Mean?

Weekly Thought – May 8, 2018

Fred thought and spoke much about life with meaning. His executive friends often cluttered their world with work to the point of shutting out everything else. His thoughts to a Dallas group in 1981 are still relevant and helpful.

What Does It Mean?

Recently I met an old and prosperous friend who wanted to relive earlier times. Once an active layman, he has become stagnant. I asked him if he remembered the scripture verse “when it is day I long for the night and when it is night I long for the day.” He became quiet and then barely audibly said, “Fred, that’s me.” Like too many, when given the choice of filling the soul or the pocketbook – he grabbed the cash. His poor soul has been on a starvation diet. He needs some nourishment.

In East Texas when I first saw the large beetles on the pine trees, I thought they were alive. They looked completely natural. But when I looked more closely, they were hollow. Often I have to remember how possible it is to become hollow even while looking alive. The inside seems to go before the outside.

It isn’t easy to keep the inside renewed. Sometimes life seems to be a lot of activity and very little being. We use up the inside in maintaining the outside.

I truly wish I could help the many bored, frantic, angry, even violent, and meaningless people who cross my way… people who need to laugh, and love unselfishly… those who need relief from a social life that becomes rote and empty. Executives whose business life is their only life come into my office expressing their lack of preparation for life after career. I see so many who live with family lives which are fractured and scratchy – the home is only a transfer station where dirty laundry is deposited and bills are paid. These are the hollow ones who are overly concerned with the opinions of others. Some have let their bodies become little more than clothes racks or display mannequins – totally empty on the inside.

We need to help each other through the process of constant internal renewal of spirit. We need to assist each other be those worthy of respect, attention, and affection – whose insides and outsides both have substance.

Malcolm Muggeridge defines life as a mystery to be illuminated not a problem to be solved. When the true awe goes out, life becomes boring and repetitive. Too often I see prominent men and women who have substituted acquisition and entertainment for genuine awe. As a poor kid in the slums of Tennessee, I spent hours on my back leaning against the curb, looking up at the stars. Not many experiences rival those times. The awe of the universe stretched me.

This week think about: 1) How am I doing – am I getting hollow or whole? 2) Where do I find meaning for my life? 3) What one thing can I do this week to improve my family life?

Words of Wisdom: “Sometimes life seems to be a lot of activity and very little being. We use up the inside in maintaining the outside.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.” (Ecclesiastes 7:12 NET Bible)

Down to Earth Gifts

Weekly Thought – May 1, 2018

Fred had a high view of giftedness and their use. He appreciated the effective application and dedication of gifts to the glory of God. He saw them as part of our stewardship responsibilities.

Down to Earth Gifts

As a businessman I work to hone my discernment skills. Good judgment and common sense are vital to successful leadership. These skills are often associated with the secular world, but I believe my ability to discern and make good decisions applies to my spiritual life, as well.

For example. I was asked to speak to a singles’ retreat hosted by Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church and pastored by my good friend Steve Brown. They didn’t ask me to come preach – they wanted my viewpoint as a Christian layman. I didn’t pack my discernment gifts away in my office desk drawer when I went into this church environment. I went knowing all my gifts were dedicated to God’s use.

During the time a young couple anticipating marriage asked me for coffee. She had a background of insecurity and instability. He was one of the most irresponsible young men I had ever met. They asked my opinion of their upcoming engagement. I was quite frank telling them she was looking for security but he didn’t offer that. He spent his time in non-revenue producing activities. He had a winning personality, but a losing plan for supporting a family.

She took me seriously and they decided not to marry. Three years later I was on a plane flying cross country. A flight attendant saw me and said “You are Fred Smith. Remember me from the singles’ retreat?” She gave me an update which included an upcoming marriage to a seminary professor.

At the same retreat a Christian lawyer asked me this question: “Is Christian morality more than legality?” He explained he thought if it were legal, then that meant it was moral. He amassed a great deal of money manipulating his ethical standards. “Legality is the minimum standard for the Christian, not the maximum” was my comment. Christian morality is a much higher bar. As he asked I made the decision to tell him the truth, not shade it or try to give him a way out. Discernment carries with it the responsibility of integrity and avoiding the desire to be liked when hard words are required.

Bringing our faith and our God-given gifts together makes sense. If we are given the ability to read people, their patterns, and their motivations the church needs us to operate in such a way that we are a benefit. We do not leave our thinking processes and strengths at work when we participate in the local church. Our gifts are given for full-time use.

This week consider: 1) What are my strengths God has given? 2) Who has helped me with wise counsel? 3) How can I effectively bridge work and faith?

Words of Wisdom: “I didn’t pack my discernment gifts away in my office desk drawer when I went into this church environment. I went knowing all my gifts were dedicated to God’s use.”

Wisdom from the Word: “A person’s gift makes room for him, and leads him before important people.” (Proverbs 18:16 NET Bible)

Three Giving Points

Weekly Thought – April 24, 2018

Fred once counseled “You never really know a person until you have counted money with them.” His generosity was never trumpeted. He gave to specific needs, not naming opportunities. He once said one of his questions for heaven was why ministry and money were so closely connected.

Three Giving Points

Giving can be a complicated discussion, but there are three simple points I have found:

1) I never enjoyed giving until I started giving more than the tithe. Recently, I have been close to a dear friend with a drinking problem. In fact, he spent $50,000 (in 1980 dollars) in one clinic. He is a man of substance and international reputation. He has shared the material he has on the subject. One of the most intriguing studies shows that someone may be sober for 20 years then go back to drinking. I wondered about the reason. It was actually very simple: those who went back were staying sober by following the rules and consistently working at it. Those who reached the “joy of sobriety” were much more inclined to stay sober and rarely go back. Those who stress and strain to give a tithe never really enjoy it. Those who give out of love rarely get caught up in the “gross or net,” “tithe or offering” debates. They reach the joy of giving.

2) Giving is the only drain I know for greed. If we want to drain the greed out of our souls, I think we can only do it by giving. Since I grew up poor I understand that environment. And since our financial condition has greatly increased I can appreciate the dynamics of the monied. The sin of the poor is envy and the sin of the rich is greed. We hear much about the sin of greed, but I think envy is much less productive, giving only ulcers. However, Christians should not be known as greedy (or envious). Giving pulls the plug on the desire to excessively accumulate.

3) Maxey Jarman taught me money can be temporary. After he gave millions of dollars to missions worldwide his financial situation seriously deteriorated. I asked him if he ever thought about the millions he had given away. “Of course I have, but do you realize I never lost a dime of what I gave away – I only lost what I kept.” For those who are waiting to give money, this should be a great inspiration to give now.

I do not believe God is fundamentally interested in your money, but in your maturity. If you will show me your calendar and your checkbook I can write your biography. I will know how you spend your time and money. Where those resources are is where your treasure resides.

Some people try to substitute service for giving and others try to substitute giving for service. Neither can be done – both are required for maturity. You are being dishonest and Christian growth doesn’t come through a dishonest process.

This week think about: 1) How much joy do I find in giving? 2)What measure do I use to gauge my greed factor? 3) How loosely do I hold onto things?

Words of Wisdom: “I do not believe God is fundamentally interested in your money, but in your maturity.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” (Hebrews 13:5 NET Bible)

The Influence of Identity

Weekly Thought – April 17, 2018

Fred’s “Don’t Duck” story influenced many at a men’s retreat in California. A few weeks later he received an envelope filled with buttons graphically designed to send the message with a bar drawn through a duck. Years later the illustration still lives.

The Influence of Identity

My friend Ray Stedman said he was struck when reading Michael Green’s book, Evangelism in the Early Church that first century Christians influenced their world for Jesus Christ more than believers do today. Their world was more openly hostile to Christianity than ours. They were fewer in number, did not hold powerful positions, did not have our technology or financial holdings, yet in thirty years spread the story of Jesus from Jerusalem to the capital of the Roman Empire. Today in the 1980s Christians have more established rights, are greater in number, and hold some of the most influential business and political positions in the land. Greene stated that their influence seems stifled and anemic by comparison.

Stedman said Greene believed the first century Christians were rooted in their identity. They were sojourners on their way home. The reality of eternity was the filter through which all of their thinking was channeled.

Too often we identify as American Christians (or even as narrowly as Texas Christians). Our focus is not on eternity, but on our piece of earth.

One of the most delightful men I know is Ron Ritchie of the Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, CA. He is one of the least likely people you would pick in a crowd as a preacher. He told me he got tired of being isolated by calling himself a preacher. He finally arrived at a clear answer when asked “what do you do?” “I tell people about Jesus if they want to know.” Then he shuts up and lets the Spirit take over. He has had some fascinating experiences.

I am not one to buttonhole people to “tell them about Jesus.” However, I have found an interesting possibility that the Spirit might use me in some small way on a one-to-one basis. If, each morning, I tell the Lord “today I won’t duck” and that if religion comes up in a natural way in a conversation I will deal with it just as I would any other subject. I have been very surprised how often when I go with a “don’t duck” attitude I end up in significant exchanges.

I have found that if I duck the natural conversations about spiritual matters I can’t make up for it by coming to the church visitation program and calling on three people I wasn’t necessarily led to by the Lord. This won’t make up for ducking the encounters He brought across my path.

I think of this as a stewardship of identity. I can’t get away from the fact that I am a Christian. I believe the Spirit, when we do what we do in the Spirit, has a way of bringing a great deal of light and removing most of the heat.

This week think about: 1) When have I “ducked”? 2) How can I better identify as a Christian? 3) What can I do to steward my Christian identity more effectively?

Words of Wisdom: “I have been very surprised how often when I go with a “don’t duck” attitude I end up in significant exchanges.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Now it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:26 NET Bible)

Peace and Encouragement

Weekly Thought – April 10, 2018

Fred used every opportunity to explore and illustrate principles of life. Their vacation home on Lake Barkley was name “Smiths’ Viewpoint.” He was careful not to foist his opinions on others. However, when asked he articulately shared. Continuing with his thoughts on stewardship, we demonstrate how he loved to see the deeper meaning of every experience.

Please continue to pray for the What’s Next Roundtable sponsored by BWFLI. We are grateful for your support. It is a critical component of our work.

Peace and Encouragement

It is time in the Christian church we start making peace. There is a promise of blessing for the peacemakers, but none for the dividers. We unfortunately take out our hostility on each other and cover it up by saying that we are standing for the faith. Yes, we are called to be firm for the truth, but sometimes there is subterfuge in the way we take that posture. We can hold strong without hostility and hatefulness. When we attack and snarl at each other over points of doctrine we are not moving toward peace.

Understand I am not saying we shouldn’t be faithful to Scripture and call out those who teach heresy, but when we are brothers and sisters in Christ, we should never use our words and actions as heat-seeking missiles.

I think of my visit to the Catacombs in Rome. Our guide was a delightful English priest. As we got out I thought I would shock him by saying, “Father, I am a Southern Baptist.” He brightened up, slapped my hands together and exclaimed, “Good! Pep me up, brother, pep me up!” He heard Baptists were somewhat demonstrative. I am surprised he didn’t ask me to set up a pot luck buffet for the group…we Baptists are definitely renown for our on- the -spot feedings.

“Father, I enjoyed the tour and as I walked through it struck me that early Christians didn’t have the luxury of denominational life.” He shook my shoulders and replied, “My brother, it is not the form that separates us that is important – it is the hope of the Resurrection that unites us.” When I get to heaven I hope this ordinary Baptist will spend time talking with that priest who shared the hope of the Resurrection in the spirit of peacemaking.

As part of our stewardship of relations, we owe each other encouragement. There is enough pressure and tension today without loading an unnecessary guilt and criticism on each other. I once heard the President of the Sloan-Kettering Laboratories speak of his country doctor. He acknowledged that there was little advanced medical technology in his little black leather bag. But he believed many got well because of his father’s kind “You are going to make it.” That encouragement unleashed the magnificent and amazing power of the body to heal itself.

There is so much we are learning about how stress and tension immobilize the healing process and how the positive aspects are capable of mobilizing the body’s defense. I would love to see a study on the relationship between the hope of the Christian experience and the healing process.

This week think carefully about: 1) How am I being an instrument of peace in my home, community, workplace, church? 2) What issues are stumbling blocks to peace with other believers? 3) How can I encourage others this week?

Words of Wisdom: “When we attack and snarl at each other over points of doctrine we are not moving toward peace.”

Wisdom from the Word: “I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” (Philemon 1:7 NET Bible)

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