Can you imagine how encouraging it would be to walk into a job interview and hear the employer say, “I already have plans for you.” Knowing we had a place in the company might be encouraging. However, knowing that the company recognized our potential and was already forming specific plans for our work with them would really get us excited. It would mean that we have been assured of a good future with this company and that would make the physical work joyful, something we looked forward to each day.
What is the difference between a diamond and a gold nugget? The most obvious differences are visual. One looks clear and the other is yellow in color. The biggest differences are not visible but material. One is soft, malleable, while the other is hard, able to cut through almost anything. Both can be shaped into amazing and beautiful jewelry but each is different in their own special ways. Continue reading “Different kinds of rocks.”
I have been a Christian for many years now. I know it’s not that long compared to some in the church but I have been a Christian long enough to learn some things.
I have learned that there is no perfect church. Every congregation has its share of problems. I have also learned that even in a good church if you look hard enough and long enough, you can find something to be disappointed about. I have learned that it’s easy to become discouraged even to the point of wanting to give up. I have felt that way numerous times in the churches I have been blessed to work with. I have also learned that if you look hard enough and long enough you will find something to be excited about. I am resolved to look for the good; for the positive, and I hope you will join me in it.
Attitude determines actions! When a person begins with the state of mind that everything is wrong, for them everything is wrong. On the other hand, if you begin with the state of mind that with God anything is possible, you will find that everything is going much better than you dreamed possible.
We can find great satisfaction in whatever church we are a part of if we are focused on the work at hand. We can take a bad situation and make it a good one if you look for the good things, look for solutions, not problems.
Nehemiah 4:6 says,
“So we built the wall. And the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” (ESV)
Nehemiah reminds us that no matter how bad the situation seems it can be improved. No matter how hopeless it might seem, we can be victorious. He faced huge problems as he returned to Jerusalem and found the walls were completely destroyed. In fact, he said they were heaps of rubble. With God’s help, they finished the work and accomplished the task that God had set before them.
We too can overcome whatever task God sets before us because He would not set anything before us that we cannot do. Secondly, we can do it because we are not alone in this work. The all-powerful, God of heaven and earth, is on our side and if we will trust Him we can be victorious. With God’s help and a mind to work there is nothing we can’t accomplish.
Jeff Arnette
Central Haywood Church of Christ 