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Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
by Tom Kelley
Back in the late 80's I attended a seminar in which the leader asked a very interesting question. "If you know everything that other people know who are successful in their fields could you do their job?" He proceded to show us a number of examples which illustrated that even to the point of shoving a straw through a potatoe. He then demonstrated a very important truth.
The word "try" should not be in our vocabulary. He set a chair in front of us and called a volunteer to come and help him. He then stood and looked at the chair and told us, "This is not picking up a chair." He then grasped the chair by its back and picked it up from the floor. "This is picking up a chair," he said. Then he looked at his helper and asked them to try to pick up the chair. The helper picked up the chair and the leader pointed out the obvious.
He repeated his command. This time the person did not pick the chair up from its position but just put his hands on it. "No," replied the leader, "that is not picking up the chair. Try to pick up the chair." The helper responded that it was impossible. The leader then told us, "There is no middle ground in things. You either do them or you don't do them."
There is no middle ground in Christ. You either serve Him or you don't serve Him. Attempts or good intentions are of no use. Christ and the cause for which He died are not advanced if we make attempts and do not follow through. We make excuses, saying that we don't know enough, or that we aren't blessed a certain way, or that we are afraid of failing.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Paul's statement is true today as it is being proven by numerous churches (Christians gathered for the purpose of service) which are reaching the lost and serving their communities. The bottom line is, do we want to? Do we want to do all things through Christ? If you truly want to serve Him, "try" will not be a part of your vocabulary.
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...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.
...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.
...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
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