Words of Wisdom - Part 1

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV). Happy New Year! As we celebrate a New Year we will look at seven “Words of Wisdom.” The first comes from an article in Family Circle Magazine I read some time ago about the importance of positive self-talk. Howard Kaminsky and Alexandra Penny call these “magic words.” They are those words of encouragement and assurance that we all need from time to time in our daily lives. In the following mornings we’ll look at a few of those from various sources I have come upon in my own walk. My prayer is that they will provide a source for your walk to enable you to be “pressed but not crushed.” In the article I have already cited, the authors recall a woman with a golden ring inscribed with a hieroglyph. When asked about the ring, she replied: “I bought this in Egypt from an old man who told me that I should look at it in the bad times because they would pass. But he was emphatic that I should also gaze at it in good times, because they too would pass.” While that seems very cynical at first reading, it does bear a very important truth. Our present experiences are temporary. The apostle Paul clearly understood that truth when he wrote to the Corinthians concerning his own situation. While he was in prison facing a near certain death sentence, he understood that as bad as it was, it was only a temporary inconvenience! Kaminsky and Penney tell the following story: Sarah had always been an easy-going, upbeat person, and when a close pal of hers, Lisa, saw her at a large cocktail party, Sarah seemed exactly the way she had always been – serene and smiling. The next morning Lisa got to thinking about all that was happening to her dear friend. Even though she appeared to be in pretty good shape on the surface, she must be really suffering down deep. Lisa decided to see if there was anything that she or her husband could do to help. She told Sarah she knew all she was coping with and asked how she could make her life a little easier. Could she stay with the kids, bring casseroles? What did Sarah need? Sarah was so grateful for her friend’s generous offer that tears of gratitude welled in her eyes. “For a few weeks I cried and cried,” she told Lisa. “Then I got so angry at everybody and everything I couldn’t see straight. But now I really am fine. It took some time, but I realized that it’s only a rough patch in the long road of life. I can’t really explain why, but just saying those words loud and clear gets me through each day.” It’s only a rough patch in the long road of life. Those are “magic words,” words of wisdom, that may be helpful for you too. Whatever you are facing today, remember that awaiting every believer is a world that cannot be described since it is so wonderful! Keep your eyes on Him and you will not be disappointed. Remind yourself of that truth!