The Problem of having no religious outlook

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Karl Jung, one of the fathers of modern psychology, said, ‘People from all civilized countries of the earth have consulted me. I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among all my patients in the second half of life – that is to say, over thirty-five – there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost that which the living religions of every age have given to their followers, and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook.’
It’s a profound observation from one of the greatest behavioural scientists, reminding us that, as Saint Augustine observed a millennium and a half ago, there is still that ‘God-shaped hole’ in every human heart.

Posted in emptiness, God shaped holes, Healing, Religion | Leave a comment

Going round in circles

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Charles Swindoll tells of a bazaar in India where a man had some birds for sale, each tied by the leg to a ring which fitted over a post stuck in the ground. Consequently, all that the birds could do was to walk around in circles. However, nobody seemed interested in buying them until a devout Brahman, who believed in the Hindu idea of respect for all life, took compassion on those poor creatures walking in their monotonous circles, and bought the whole lot. He immediately cut the strings and set them free. But those birds, now free from their fetters, continued to walk around in circles just like they’d always done; and just like so many of us do until we learn that God’s will is for us to be free of all those things that enslave us, and that his Spirit within us enables us to actually do it.

Posted in Deliverance, Freedom, Futility, New Life | Leave a comment

Why did Jesus weep?

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

I met a group of people who were thanking God that an elderly friend had been brought back from the brink of death by a medical intervention that now keeps her alive. Yet I remember that old lady telling me she was ready to die and go to what she described as her true home. I’m not sure what sort of consciousness she now has, but I wonder if she’s is as happy about her condition as her friends are.
It reminds me of that story in the gospel where Jesus went to the tomb of his friend Lazarus and, responding to the grief of his sisters, called Lazarus back from the dead. But before he did it, the Bible says, ‘Jesus wept’. We often why should he weep when he was about to call him back? Maybe it was because he knew how much Lazarus was about to lose in coming back from that realm where God wipes away all our tears.

Posted in Death, Heaven, Hope | Leave a comment

When our actions contradict our values

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

In 1983 a Korean Air Lines flight accidentally strayed into Soviet air space and was shot down by a Soviet jet-fighter, flown by a Major Osipovich. 240 people lost their lives as a result, and an international crisis suddenly flared and came dangerously close to armed conflict. The irony of it is that Major Osipovich was flying that night because he’d been given time off during the day to give a talk at his daughter’s school. The subject of his talk was peace.
It reminds me of how Jesus once said of the people of his day: ‘These people honour God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.’ But it’s not just national leaders who need to heed these words. Every one of us will be called to account for those actions of ours that contradict the values we proclaim.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The music within us

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

The famous composer Mendelssohn once visited the cathedral at Fribourg, and having heard the great organ, went into the organ loft and asked to be allowed to play it. The old organist, afraid to let strangers loose on this marvelous instrument, refused. But after a bit of coaxing he agreed. Moments later, amazed and in an ecstasy of delight, he laid his hands on the shoulders of the musician and exclaimed: ‘Who are you? What is your name?’ ‘Mendelssohn,’ replied the player. The old man hung his head in shame and said: ‘Can it be that I nearly refused to let the great Mendelssohn touch this organ!’
And can it be that we, through ignorance or fear of what might happen, might likewise be refusing to let the great God bring out the music that lies dormant in us?

Posted in Abundant life, Fulfilment, God in us | Leave a comment

In every obstacle there’s an opportunity

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old legend of a king who had a boulder placed on a highway and left there to see if anyone would remove it. A number of important people came by and squeezed past, complaining about the way the government was failing to keep the roads clear. But then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. He laid down his burden and after much pushing and straining, he rolled the rock out of the way. Then, as he bent down to pick up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying where the boulder had been. The purse was full of gold coins plus a note from the king indicating that it was there for whoever removed the boulder from the road. That man learned something that most of us fail to understand: that in every obstacle there’s an opportunity, but only if we’re prepared to deal with it.

Posted in Blessings, Opportunities | Leave a comment

Taking things for granted

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Two old friends happened to meet each other one day. One of them seemed depressed. His friend asked him why he was so sad. He said: ‘Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me $40,000.’ ‘That’s wonderful,’ his friend said. ‘Yes,’ the man said, ‘but that’s not the end of it. Two weeks ago, a distant cousin died and left me $80,000’ ‘Wow! Said the friend. ‘And then last week,’ the man added, ‘my great-aunt passed away. I inherited a quarter of a million from her.’ By now his friend was really confused. ‘Then, why are you so miserable?’ He asked. The other man sighed. ‘This week, there’s been nothing.’
Now, you may think I’m being facetious, but it’s part of the human condition to get so used to unexpected blessings that eventually we also just take them for granted.

Posted in Ingratitude | Leave a comment

“In everything give thanks”

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Corrie ten Boom, whose book, The Hiding Place, was made into a successful movie, was incarcerated with her sister Betsie in the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Amongst the many torments they suffered was the fact that their hut was infested with fleas. However, Betsie, a woman of deep faith, insisted that instead of complaining about the fleas, they should practice the discipline of thanksgiving, quoting that verse from the Bible that says: ‘In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ Meanwhile, they’d secretly began to conduct nightly Bible studies with other prisoners. But despite living in fear of being discovered, the sadistic guards never entered their hut. It was only later they learned it was because of the fleas that the guards stayed away.

Posted in God's faithfulness, thankfulness | Leave a comment

Sorry

Posted on June 22, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

A few years ago James Fantroy was convicted of stealing $20,000 worth of government grants while serving on the Dallas City Council. However, because he had cancer and was confined to a wheelchair, the judge took pity on him and gave him the option of either serving a prison sentence or publicly apologizing for his actions. Fantroy chose to go to jail rather than apologize. Like so many of us, he preferred to suffer all sorts of unpleasant consequences rather than swallow his pride and say sorry. But we never find peace without doing it, including peace with God.
Jesus said: ‘If you enter your place of worship and… suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you… leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then … come back and work things out with God.’

Posted in Apology, Forgiveness, Repentance | Leave a comment

‘Welcome back, stupid!’

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

I heard about an over-confident off-road driving enthusiast, who came across a sign that read: ‘Road Closed. Do Not Enter.’ But he simply drove round it, thinking it would save time. However, after a few miles of successfully negotiating the rough surface he lost his grin when he had to hit the brakes because, right in front of him, was a washed-out bridge. So he turned the car around and went back. When he arrived at the original warning sign he was greeted by large letters on the back of the sign that said: ‘Welcome back, stupid!’
Many of us place undue confidence in our ability to negotiate life’s byways, even when the warning signs are clear to see. But confidence is only as good as what it’s placed in. That’s why the Bible says: ‘Thy word is the lamp to my feet and the light for my way.’ We should use it.

Posted in Life, Life's journey, Life's lessons, Uncertainty of Life, Warning, Warning marker | Leave a comment