People Will Remember How You Made Them Feel

 We love to hear those three little words, “I love you.” Well, most of the time we do. Several years ago, millions of people received an email message with the subject line, “I Love You.” The message contained a computer virus. Once the recipient opened the email, the “I Love You” virus unleashed a program that destroyed computer files, and emailed itself to every address stored in the computer.

 On its first day, the “I Love You” virus reportedly crippled computer systems in Hong Kong before invading the British House of Commons, and then moving on to create confusion in the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon. By noon, it had reached home computers across the country and shut down the systems of large businesses. In the end, it infected more than 55 million computers. People will never forget how terrible they felt after being deceived.

Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” That means we have no hidden agenda. The words “I love you” could be a cover for something sinister, like a destructive virus. Anyone can say “I love you” to get something they want.

The 24-year-old college student who invented the virus had no intention of spreading love around the world. He wanted to hurt everyone under the pretense of loving them. He obviously never opened the love letter from God which says, “Love is kind...does not act improperly... finds no joy in unrighteousness. . .” (1 Cor. 13:4-6).

If we say we love others, but slander them behind their backs, we are no different than the student who invented the computer virus. People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Today, when you tell someone “I love you,” they will probably not remember what you say, so make them remember how wonderful you made them feel. 

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net 

At What Price Will You Compromise?

An advertising agency calls a famous athlete and asks if he would pose with a bottle of Gordon’s Gin for a billboard campaign. The athlete replies, “I simply cannot do that because of my religious beliefs.” The executive says, “We will pay you $1 million if you will simply let us take your picture with our product.” After a long pause, the athlete says, “Hmm, let me think about it.”

He goes to his bishop, explains the million-dollar offer, and asks his advice. The bishop says, “Don’t do it! You would be setting a bad example for our young people and would compromise your faith.” The athlete calls the ad executive and says, “I’ve decided to turn down your offer.”

Two weeks later, the athlete is driving down Hollywood Boulevard and looks up at the billboard. He’s shocked to see his bishop wearing his black liturgical robe and holding a bottle of Gordon’s Gin. The caption says: “It is simply divine and has a heavenly taste!”

Some people will compromise what they claim to believe if the price is right. Before Israel conquered Jericho, God told the Israelites to destroy everything, but to keep all the gold and silver for the treasury of the Lord.

When the men of Israel invaded Jericho and started destroying everything, Achan secretly took some gold, silver, and a beautiful robe, and then hid them in the ground under his tent (Josh. 7:21). He thought he got away with it, but he forgot God was watching. His sin brought a curse upon Israel, and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to execute the person responsible. Achan was stoned to death, along with his family (7:24-26).

The phrase “every man has his price” suggests that no individual is immune to bribery or corruption, implying that anyone can be swayed to compromise given the right incentive. That’s true for many people, but not everyone. The only guaranteed way to not compromise your integrity is if your love for God is greater than the bribe you’re being offered.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Deathbed Confession of a Hypocrite

Just before Thomas Randele died of cancer, his wife asked his friends to come by their home to say goodbye to a man they called one of the nicest and most honorable people they had ever known. No one had any idea that Randele called them together to make a shocking deathbed confession.

Randale confessed that 52 years earlier, when he worked as a bank teller, he stole $215,000 from the vault, which amounts to $1.6 million today. For over five decades he had been a fugitive, and wanted for one of the largest bank robberies in Cleveland’s history. The bank heist in 1969 didn’t capture the nation’s attention because everyone was focused on Apollo 11’s historic landing on the moon.

His wife and daughter were even more stunned when he admitted that Thomas Randele wasn’t his real name. His true name was Ted Conrad, and he had created that new identity to keep from being discovered.

Unlike the repentant thief on the cross who admitted he was guilty and accepted the punishment for his crime (Luke 23:41), Conrad admitted to his crime, but he wasn’t willing to do his time in prison. People who confess sins on their deathbed want to get rid of the guilt for what they did, but they don’t want to pay for what they did.

Something happens to us internally when we hide our sins in darkness. After David committed adultery and murdered Uriah, he covered up his crimes for about a year. During that time, he suffered physical and psychological sickness which he described in Psalm 32:3-4 and 38:2-3. After Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin, David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and God forgave him (2 Sam. 12:1-13).

Confession is the beginning of the healing your soul. “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). It’s like opening a closet door, which allows the shining light to kill the dark secret that thrives inside. Darkness cannot live when it’s exposed to the light (Eph. 5:12-13).

If you’ve done wrong, get honest before God and own up to it. It may be embarrassing to admit, but the relief you’ll experience will heal your soul.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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From a Human Perspective, God's Timing Seems Wrong

The builders and decorators of a large cathedral made the mistake of admitting visitors while remodeling work was in progress. The workers heard nothing but complaining about the renovation being done. All the negative comments forced the construction team to close the doors and not admit anyone except the workmen. After the remodeling and decorating was finally completed, everyone had nothing but praise for the beautiful work the construction crew had done.

When God is at work, many people complain because they only see how the present situation looks. They don’t realize that God isn’t finished yet. In His perfect timing, everything will come together and the doors will open. “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Eccl. 3:11).

After Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison in Egypt, he asked Pharoah’s cupbearer, who was also a prisoner, to remember him after he was released. After the cupbearer got out of prison, he forgot to tell Pharoah about Joseph. It wasn’t because he has a bad memory, but because the timing wasn’t right for Joseph to be promoted.

Two years later, Pharoah had two dreams that needed interpreting, and that’s when the cupbearer remembered Joseph. After Joseph interpreted Pharoah’s dreams, the time was right for him to be promoted to prime minister (Gen. 40-41).

God could have given Pharaoh the dreams two years earlier. Instead, He allowed Joseph to spend two more years locked up because it wasn’t his time. Psalm 105:17-19 says Joseph served as a slave and was imprisoned “until the time his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” “Until the time” means it wasn’t time to get out. “The Lord tested him” means waiting for two more years was a test of his faith.

The funny thing about God’s timing is, from a human perspective, it always seems to be wrong. We usually think God should come through for us sooner—and that’s why people complain. But when everything is ready and all the pieces of God’s plan comes together, then we see His timing wasn’t wrong after all.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Big Bears and Little Bears

A couple of men went camping deep in the woods. One of the men was a big, powerful guy, while his buddy was small. The little man said to the big guy, “You know, if I were as big as you, I’d go out into the woods and find a big bear to fight. Yep, that’s what I’d do if I were as big as you.” The big guy looked at his friend and said, “You know, there are a lot of little bears out there too.”

Many people tell us what we need to do, but they aren’t willing to do it themselves. The truth is, there are enough big and little bears out there for all of us. We need to learn how to defeat the little bears before we can defeat the big ones. God will show us how to overcome small trials so we will have confidence when we face bigger challenges.

David was a shepherd boy and had never fought in a battle before. One day when he was tending his sheep, a lion attacked the flock and David killed it. Another time, a bear attacked the flock, (perhaps a little bear), and he killed it too. 

One day the Philistines gathered to fight Israel and challenged them to fight their giant named Goliath. Everyone in Israel was frightened, including King Saul. No one was willing to fight Goliath except the shepherd boy, David. He told Saul, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37). In other words, “Killing a little bear was training to prepare me to fight this big bear.”

Saul told David, “Go and may the Lord be with you.” Saul could have said, “May the Lord be with me as I fight Goliath,” but he didn’t. Saul was willing for David to fight the big bear, but he wasn’t willing to do it himself.

God’s “training camp” is to help you overcome small trials so you’ll be ready and confident when you have to face a giant challenge. And remember, the same Lord who helped David will also help you.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Have You Ever Felt the Holy Spirit Tug at Your Heart?

A little boy was flying his kite. It flew so high that it rose into the clouds where he couldn’t see it. A man standing nearby tried to have some fun with him. He asked, “How do you know the kite is up there? I can’t see it. Can you?”

“No, I can’t see it,” the boy replied. “But I know it’s up there because I can feel a little tug now and then.”

The Holy Spirit will lead you by tugging on your heart in the direction you need to go. Left to itself, the heart will selfishly mislead you every time and pull you in the wrong direction (Jer. 17:9). But when your heart is controlled by the Holy Spirit, He can direct your steps on the right path. “Following your heart” doesn’t mean fulfilling your selfish impulses, but following the Holy Spirit’s leading.

When you are being led by the Holy Spirit, one way He will guide you is by placing His desires into your heart so that you will want what He wants. “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). When you find your joy in pleasing the Lord, the Holy Spirit tugs inside your heart to pull you in the direction where He wants you to go.

It’s not a normal desire to want to leave the comfort of America to serve as a missionary in Africa or India. Yet, I have known people whose passion was to live in poverty-stricken countries to reach people for Christ. That desire comes from the Holy Spirit.

God has a unique plan for each person, so He guides everyone on different paths. When you yield yourself to His control, He will put His desires in your heart so He can guide you down the path He wants you to travel. His guidance will never contradict what He has already told us in the Scriptures.

The key to receiving God’s guidance is surrendering yourself to Him and His plan for your life. It’s never selfish to want what God wants for you. (see Gal. 5:16-17)    www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Don't Let Rejection Defeat You

Perhaps there’s no more heartbreaking story of rejection than that of John Kennedy Toole, the author of A Confederacy of Dunces. In 1969, three years after Simon & Schuster rejected the novel, Toole became so despondent that he committed suicide. 

Toole’s grief-stricken, yet incredibly determined mother asked everyone she could think of to read the book. Seven years of rejections later, she got it into the hands of novelist and professor Walker Percy. How could he say no to this poor woman with her deceased son’s unpublished manuscript? With great dread, Percy began reading the book, hoping it would be so horrible that he could discard it after reading a few pages.

It didn’t take him long to realize the book was so good he was going to have to read the entire manuscript. Halfway through the book he knew he was holding a novel of immense value. Although the content in the manuscript wouldn’t win any Christian awards, A Confederacy of Dunces went on to win a Pulitzer Prize, selling more than 1.5 million copies in 18 languages. Imagine the books Toole might have written if he had the same determination as his mother.

Rejection is a part of life. Everyone is going to be rejected in one way or another, so we need to learn how to deal with it. Every successful author had their manuscript rejected many times by publishers before someone finally recognized the person’s gift. Every successful athlete had to overcome losing in order to get better.

Rejection can be devastating, so that’s why we need to see it from God’s point of view. Man’s rejection can be God’s PROTECTION. Sometimes the Lord is saying, “I’m closing this door because this isn’t My will for you.” He’s protecting you from harm that you can’t see at the present time.

Rejection can also be God’s DIRECTION. God’s hand is diverting you to a new and better place that you wouldn’t have thought about on your own. Other rejections are designed to increase your determination through faith and persistence, like the Canaanite woman who wouldn’t quit (Matt. 21:22-28). Under no circumstances are you to let rejection defeat you or keep you from reaching your full potential, like it did with John Kennedy Toole.   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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