Scripture: Proverbs 24:10 (the Message)
If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.
Thought for the Day: It is reported that Abraham Lincoln said, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” It is amazing to watch people rise to the occasion in a time of crisis and demonstrate faith, conviction and strength. And Lincoln, like many other times, appears to have been on to something when he made the connection between standing firm amidst the crisis and having all the facts. Too often people fall apart because what they are standing on is flimsy at best. People watch “news programs” (and I use that phrase very loosely) and confuse commentary with verifiable facts. They go to the office and spout off opinions with such certitude that others begin to pass on what was said as fact. These kinds of fabrications and deceptions can hold their own for a while, but a real crisis causes them to crumble… leaving those who held them confused and without footing. As people of faith, let us speak truth when we know it is true, and the other 99% of the time we should use good ‘I‘ statements that clearly indicate it is an opinion or personal belief. That is integrity that others can respect and it will significantly reduce the amount of unstable ground on which we attempt to stand.
Prayer: Holy God, provide us the wisdom to determine what is fact, what is opinion and what is nonsense. When we better understand the landscape, we will better navigate the terrain of daily life. Amen.
STUDY
TODAY at noon and 6:30pm
A LITTLE TEASER
FOR SUNDAY’S SERMON
