Stub Your Toe?

STUB YOUR TOE? or THEY ALL?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.

Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,

cannot be my disciple.

28. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,

and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it?

29. Lest haply, after he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish it,

all that behold it, begin to mock him.

30. Saying this man began to build and was not able to FINISH IT.

2 Kings 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with Joash, and said,

THOU SHOULD HAVE ---

Luke 14:18 ...they all with one consent began to make excuse.

Dear friends, I ponder some deep stuff today?

I have been to two resthomes and played two one hour music programs.

My Dad taught me this discipline.

I love old people, for I am headed that way at 1440 minutes a day.

I get a lot of hugs and a few kisses.

The resthome is one of the purest forms of real ministry, ...

for most of them can give nothing in return?

Only one motive will keep you going to the resthome to minister ---

that is love. Resthome ministry is giving.

Some people stub their toe, and say it was the devil’s fault?

When to be perfectly honest, the devil had nothing to do with stubbing the toe.

Listen to me, before you jump conclusions.

Many times one stubbing the toe is a results of laziness.

If we would pick up our feet higher with a little more energy and enthusiasm,

we would clear more obstacles.

Many parents remove all obstacles from the path of the child,

instead of disciplining them to avoid the obstacles.

God is not that kind of Father, He will not always go before you and remove everything that you can stub your toe, God expects you to open your eyes,

see the obstacle and plot a way around.

While we discuss this stupidity of blaming the enemy for our lack of effort.

Why not look at REAL EFFORT?

We live in a day of instant coffee --- with no waiting,

instant mashed potatoes --- with no peeling,

instant ice tea --- with no hot water,

and 200 channels of nonsense on the TV,

and we grow a generation that feeling good and sleep become real goals.

We have no shame for laziness today. Everybody else is lazy?

When God’s people drift with every wind, and thoughtlessness is how we approach God’s work ? ? ? Disaster lies ahead. Slipshod?

Look up slip shod in the dictionary?

Shabby, careless, slovenly, performed without regard for care or thoroughness, little effort, of bad quality.

Ship shod suggest like wearing a loose pair of shoes, wearing blisters on your feet because you will not bend over and tie your shoes.

See there are consequences to slip shod behavior!

We need God’s people to arise and invest time and effort wisely.

We must exert power and hard work, God deserves better!

Why will men lie on their backs in the mud of life,

talking about the fall of man, and make little to no effort to get up?

Effort requires thinking, motivation, and sweat.

We think this is hard?

I think what a quart of oil may cost?

What about running the motor without oil?

What will that cost?

Could the love of money have a link to the impulse of effort?

What is in this for me?

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,

cannot be my disciple.

28. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,

and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it?

29. Lest haply, after he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish it,

all that behold it, begin to mock him.

30. Saying this man began to build and was not able to FINISH IT.

Before the builder buys a hammer, he sits down. He must count the cost!

What effort shall I invest in this?

Shall I build a cardboard house?

This is not a lazy sit down strike, this is pondering, this is mediation, this is seeking counsel, this is counting the cost, self-evaluation.

This is planning, goal setting, developing a system self evaluation and a way to measure our successes/failures.

How many leaders have no accountableness?

With no inspections the work will lessen in intensity?

How many husbands honestly evaluate how they are doing?

How many wife’s plan ways of bettering their relationships?

Ship shod families are very expensive?

We plan what we are going to cook more than plan God’s work?

When we thoughtlessly do God’s work, how can we honestly plan on God’s glory?