Not Just For You
Not Just For You
“The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.” – Proverbs 10:21
Have you ever been helped by listening to what someone else was planning to do?
Church was over and Jack was waiting in line to get some coffee. The sermon had been about spending time reading the Bible every day. Jack had always struggled with this. He wanted to read the Bible, but he just never seemed to have time or, when he did, he didn’t think of it.
There were a few people who were standing nearby and they were talking about the sermon. One of the people said,
“I couldn’t agree more. I have grown so much from reading the Bible every morning. The funny thing is, I’ve known it was important for a long time but never did it. It wasn’t until I decided to dedicate 2 minutes a day while eating breakfast to reading the Bible, that I started to do it. I figured I have two minutes. I can do anything for two minutes.
I know two minutes doesn’t sound like much, but it got me doing it. What I’ve found is that many days, I go longer than 2 minutes. Some days I may read for 15 or even 30 minutes, but I still make my goal just two minutes a day, and if I read more, great!”
Jack thought to himself. “Two minutes. I can do two minutes.” and Jack had just found a path to reading the Bible every day.
It can be great to find an advisor when you aren’t sure what to do. Sometimes, though, the advisor we find isn’t even intending to advise us. Sometimes we don’t even realize we needed an advisor.
In our story, the person talking near Jack wasn’t trying to give advice, they were just telling their experience. They certainly weren’t trying to advise Jack, yet Jack grew from overhearing the conversation.
“The lips of the righteous nourish many”
The righteous and obedient and wise things we do have no impact on our salvation, but they are beneficial to us. However, that’s not the whole story. People are always watching and listening.
Sometimes we advise and are able to see people benefit from our righteous words and deeds. Sometimes, though, we have no idea someone benefited. That person just overheard us or saw us doing something or heard a story about us. It’s amazing how often God works in ways we don’t even notice.
Heavenly Father,
May my words and deeds be righteous in Your sight and the sight of others that they may nourish those around me. Also, surround me with wise and righteous people, that I may be nourished by them.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
