THE LOST ART OF HEARING, UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT AND CHERISHING
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
LOST ART? WANT TO TALK ABOUT FRAUD?
In 1927, Thomas J. Faulkner of the Peoples’ party ran against Charles King of the Whig Party for the Presidential Election. Charles King won by a landslide. There was 15,000 registered voters. The election committee declared Charles King the winner by 234,000 votes.
LOST ART: a skill or craft that is no longer widely practiced, something that has fallen into disuse, skill that not many do any more, the loss of interest.
MANY YEARS AGO I DROVE A CHURCH BUS SEVERAL HOURS WITH A LOAD OF YOUNG MEN.
One young boy stood holding on to the poles behind me. He was a smart young man. During the trip the young boy talked how stupid his teachers were. The conversation turned about how bad the principal and the office staff was. Then he told me how our best Sunday School teacher was ignorant and unprepared. He then started talking about our Pastor. He said the pastor screamed and yelled and preached too long. His mouth kept running. The music at church was too loud and it was dragging and sounded like funeral music. He concluded how stupid and loud mouth his father was.
I PONDERED HOW DID SUCH A YOUNG MAN HAVE SO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES ABOUT EVERYBODY AND LIFE. A few weeks later I drove a car load of ladies to a women’s meeting 2 hours from the church. There was a lady sat next to me in the front seat of the car. The lady started putting down everybody she knew. She talked about the schools being rotten. The pastor was mean. Her husband was an absolute idiot. He was so bad she left him. I found out this lady was the mother of the negative young boy. I UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE YOUNG BOY HAD DEVELOPED SUCH A LOW OPINION OF EVERYONE HE KNEW. The boy’s mother had POISONED HIS HEART WITH TRASH TALK. I moved away. I have always wondered what happened to that mother and her son?
TODAY I READ A STORY ABOUT A LADY THAT MADE THE BEST BREAD IN HER WHOLE VILLAGE, BUT SHE WAS VERY MEAN.
This lady listened to her pastor’s sermon about giving. The lady was always mean and cruel to her son. The lady’s son had ran away from home. She thought may she could help someone and the Lord would reward her with the return of her beloved son. She made fresh bread every day. She decided she would bake an extra loaf of bread and place it in the window for whoever need it. The bread would disappear. The lady was so pleased that she was helping someone. Her giving brought much satisfaction to her. Day after day she would bake the extra loaf of bread. She wondered who was getting the bread. So she started watching. She saw a street bum, dirty and smelly come by every day at the same time. She noted he never said thank you. Seemed to her he never appreciated her extra work. After several months, the more she thought about the raggedy bum the angrier and bitter she became. The unappreciative idiot she was going to teach him a lesson. One morning in great anger, she put poison in his loaf of bread. That man does not deserve my bread, she thought. At the normal time the street bum picked the poisoned bread out of the window and went running down the street.
The lady had prayed every day for her son to return home. The lady heard a big commotion at her door. The thump was so loud. She opened the door. She was so happy, it was her son laying on the ground unconscious. Seemed the old unappreciated bum had found the young man laying passed out. The bum knew the young man was so skinny because he had not eaten in days. The old bum gave the young man some water and forced some bread down his throat. The dirty street bum would give the boy water and give him bread. Finally the young boy revived and told the bum: I AM GOING HOME TO MY MOMMA. On his way home the young boy got weaker and weaker. He finally saw his mom’s house and fell at the door. SEEMS THE YOUNG MAN ATE THE REVENGE POISONED BREAD that his mom had fixed for the ungrateful bum. The momma’s bad attitudes and mean deeds became very costly.
THE LOST ART OF LISTENING:
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
THE LOST ART UNDERSTANDING: IN A DREAM: GOD SAYS: SOLOMON ASK WHAT I SHALL GIVE YOU!
1 Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
THE LOST ART OF RESPECT: RESPECT: honor, REGARD OTHERS HIIGHLY, feeling of deep admiration for someone or something, polite, admire.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
THE LOST ART OF CHERISHING EACH OTHER. GRATITUDE, to value as important, to cherish is more than warm feelings. Cherish is an ACTIVE CHOICE. value system, priority, to treasure, to value, foster, hold dear, tender, kindly affection, honor,
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
OUR SOCIETY PALLIATES OR MAKES LIGHT OF SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES. WE HAVE LOST OUR RESPECT AND THE ABILITY TO CHERISH WHAT IS IMPORTANT. Never forget that the same God that tells the sun when to come up and makes the stars to shine --- God knows you by your first name. God knows where you have been. God not only knows your story. He knows your heart.
MAKING TODAY A GOOD MEMORY TRUST THE PROCESS? WE MUST TRUST GOD’S PLAN. GOD’S PLAN IS CLEAR: LEARN TO LISTEN CAREFULLY! DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING! GROW RESPECT! LOVE AND CHERISH PEOPLE.
Grapes must be crushed to make grape juice. Diamonds must know many years of heat and pressure to sparkle in the light. Olives must undergo the heavy mill to make olive oil. Seeds must know the damp, cold, dark ground to bear fruit. TO GROW AND BECOME WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US WE MUST SUBMIT TO FATHER KNOWS BEST. WE MUST QUIT NEGATIVE THINKING THAT TEARS DOWN THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
THE SKELETON IS YOU! (F. BUECHNER)
OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ANGER IS POSSIBILY THE MOST FUN.
TO LICK YOUR WOUNDS, TO SMACK YOUR LIPS OVER GRIEVANCES LONG PAST.
TO ROLL YOUR OVER YOUR TONGUE THE PROSPECT OF BITTER
CONFRONTATIONS STILL TO COME, TO SAVOR TO THE LAST
TOOTHSOME MORSEL THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVEN AND THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVING BACK
IS IN MANY WAYS IS A FEAST FIT FOR A KING.
THE CHIEF DRAW BACK IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF.
THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU.
WILL THE ACTIONS OF OTHERS? WILL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND ME: DEFINE THE MOOD AND ACTIONS THAT WILL CONTROL MY THOUGHT PATTERNS?
It is insane to want things different but keep the same attitudes, words and actions. Take heed to your temper and anger. Take heed to being hurt, offended and bitter.
Deuteronomy 1:28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
SOME HAVE COMPASSION MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THERE IS A LADY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. SHE LISTENED --- SHE DEVELOPED UNDERSTANDING TO LOVE THE WORK OF GOD TO THE POINT THAT SHE RESPECTED THE MAN OF GOD, ELISHA AND HIS HELPER, GEHAZI. SHE NOT ONLY RESPECTED GOD --- SHE CHERISHED GOD AND GOD’S MAN.
This woman loved to hear Elisha’s message. One day she notice he was not staying in the Holiday Inn. Elisha was sleeping on the cold hard ground. I think God gave her an understanding heart and there was great respect as she CHERISHED THE MAN OF GOD AND THUS SHE CHERISHED GOD.
2 Kings 4:8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
GOD HONORS HIS PEOPLE THAT LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY RESPECT AND CHERISH GOD’S WORKERS.
2 Kings2:11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE TODAY A GOOD MEMORY TRUST THE PROCESS? TRUST GOD’S PLAN. WE MUST PUT OUR EAR TO THE GROUND TO LISTEN. AS WE LISTEN WE WILL GAIN UNDERSTANDING! WITH GODLY UNDERSTANDING WE WILL LEARN TO RESPECT AND CHERISH OTHERS.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Grapes must be crushed to make grape juice. Diamonds must know many years of heat and pressure to sparkle in the light. Olives must undergo the heavy mill to make olive oil. Seeds must know the damp, cold, dark ground to bear fruit. TO GROW AND BECOME WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US WE MUST SUBMIT TO FATHER KNOWS BEST.
CONCLUSION: Never forget that the same god that tells the sun when to come up and makes the stars to shine knows you by your name. God knows your story. God knows your heart. May we learn to listen, to understand, respect and cherish each other and God’s plan.
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
GOD RENEW THE DIVINE GIFTS OF LISTENING, UNDERSTANDING, RESPECTING AND CHERISHING IN OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR CHURCHES.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
