|
We should never discount or devalue our self worth based solely on the
mistakes of our past. We should always remember and keep in mind that the
past serves a great purpose for our future. We can use the heartaches,
the setbacks and the trial's that we had to endure and apply the lessons
that they taught us for our betterment in this present time and in our
future to come. Life is all about learning and teaching. When we know
better, we do better and when we've learned the hard taught lessons of
life, we should also help others in the areas that we've already conquered
and overcome. When we use our life to make a difference in someone else's
life, we are imparting into them blessings that we could never fully
comprehend. Helping others to rise higher is to leave a legacy that will
live long after we are gone. That is why we should always believe that
our past does not have to define our future.
Be encouraged to see how valuable your life really is. If you have
overcome much in your life then you have much to be thankful for and you
have much that you can impart into the lives of others. The strength that
you received from enduring the trials of your past can encourage someone
else to never give in and never give up. The resolve that was embedded
within your spirit when you overcame your setbacks can be imparted into
someone else's life who needs to know that things will get better. The
backbone of steel that now lies within your being for going through the
fire can encourage and inspire others that no matter how difficult the
situation may seem, we can get through it, we can overcome it and in the
end we can become better because of it.
Believe in yourself again and use all that you have learned to teach
others, to make them better and to elevate them to heights that they never
thought possible. Using our life in this manner will be a life well lived.
I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to see that your
life can be use to make a difference in ways that you never thought or
imagined. You simply have to believe that you are able to impact someone else.
A HERO FOR OUR TIME
An American tourist in Tel Aviv was about to enter the impressive Mann
Auditorium to take in a concert by the Israel Philharmonic. He was admiring
the unique architecture, the sweeping lines of the entrance, and the modern
decor throughout the building. Finally he turned to his escort and asked
if the building was named for Thomas Mann, the world famous author.
“No,” his friend said, “It's named for Fredric Mann, from Philadelphia.”
“Really? I never heard of him. What did he write?” the tourist asked.
“A check.”
There are many kinds of heroes, and Fredric Mann may be considered a hero
by concert goers in Tel Aviv. But you don't have to be famous (or wealthy)
to be heroic. Nor do you have to pull a child from a burning building or
throw yourself atop a hand grenade. Heroes come in many varieties. In
fact, you may have never imagined yourself much of a hero, but you could
be wrong. I'm not talking about comic book super-heroes, but real people
making a real difference.
Heroes should not be confused with celebrities. Fame is fickle. Former
American football coach and broadcaster Lou Holtz knew how fleeting fame
can be. He once said, “I've been on the top and I've been on the bottom.
At Arkansas my first year, we won the Orange Bowl. Then everybody loved
me. They put me into the Arkansas Hall of Fame and issued a commemorative
stamp in my honor. The next year we lost to Texas and they had to take
away the stamp because people kept spitting on the wrong side of it.”
Celebrities come and go, but heroes last. Some celebrities are far from
heroes, and some heroes are far from famous. But well-known or not, all
heroes have something in common. They make a difference.
To my way of thinking, Kenyan runner Kipchoge Keino is a hero. Keino won a
gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 1968 Olympics, in spite of suffering
from a gallbladder infection. At later Olympics, he would add another gold
and two silvers to his medal collection. Kenya later chose Keino to serve
as the running coach for its Olympic teams from 1976 to 1986. Under his
guidance, Kenyan runners continued to distinguish themselves in the world
of sports.
But that is not why I consider him heroic. He was an outstanding athlete
and one of the world's best in his field. His accomplishments are enough
for Kenyans, and the world, to celebrate him. But celebrities and heroes
are not always the same. Kip Keino is a hero.
You see, for most of their lives together, Kip and his wife Phyllis have
been running an orphanage out of their home. In addition to their own
seven children, they have raised and nurtured hundreds of other youngsters
who needed a loving home. Still, every child is treated like family. And
on top of all of this, Kip Keino's new foundation has built a primary and
secondary school in Eldoret, Kenya, to give kids the most important gift a
young person can ever receive -- a chance.
Make no mistake. Kip Keino is not a millionaire. But I appreciate what he
says about his work: “I think I have been lucky. Now what is important is
how I use what I have to help others.”
I know that what he says applies to me, too. What is important is how I
use what I have to help others -- no matter how little or how much I think
I have.
American celebrity Ben Stein put it similarly. He said, “I came to realize
that a life lived to help others is the only one that matters.”
You see, that is what it means to be a hero. Real heroes are not always
famous. Real heroes may not be flashy. They may have never saved a life
nor shown extraordinary bravery. But they ardently, even obsessively, live
their lives to help others. And they make a difference.
By Steve Goodier
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
John 15:11-13 Jesus says “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is My
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of
love, which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to
the saints, and do minister.”
Matthew 25:37-40 Jesus declares “Then shall the righteous answer Him,
saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and
gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked,
and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye
have done it unto Me.”
1 Peter 3:8-11 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of
another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil
for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that
will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good;
let him seek peace, and ensue it.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: THE RIGHT WORDS
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem173.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: TERRY GABURO'S TESTIMONY
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony134.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
