Thoughts to Ponder

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I heard a couple of interesting quotes this weekend that keep bouncing around in my mind, so I decided to just put my thoughts out there. The first one was something like this: Success does not necessarily equal effectiveness. I wonder how people would interpret and apply that. Perhaps in marriage it's about staying together without loving one another through the power of Christ or honestly portraying the analogy of Christ and the church. Perhaps in parenting it's about making children obey, but not having their hearts. Perhaps in our churches it's about baptizing people but not teaching them and discipling them on toward spiritual maturity. Perhaps in schooling it's about getting the grade while not learning to apply the material. Perhaps in business it's about getting the dollar, but losing the customer. Perhaps in war it's about winning the battle but losing the war. It seems to me it could be a contrast between the short term and the long term. How can we more effectively run the race to obtain the prize? Because truly, success as defined in the examples above is no success at all! The marriage that stays together without working toward growth may last for a few years, or 25 years, but then still fail while being a poor example to all who see it. The children who obey while they 'have to' may rebel as soon as they get the chance. The people who were not discipled and grounded will soon not darken the doors of the building and the businessman who gets the sale but loses the customer will soon lose the business. Etc, etc, etc. Yet we can't forfeit the immediate success to obtain the effectiveness, for a lack of commitment in my marriage today will certainly not produce an effective witness for Christ's relationship with His church later, nor will disobedient children learn to honor their parents, and so on and so forth. Indeed, both are needed--success today in an effective way. Hmmmmm. . .I feel like I'm reasoning (or rambling!) in circles! The other quote was: When one says nothing, he is approving by default. Wow! That's a good one too. When and how to speak, and when to stay silent. It seems to me that I err by either speaking when it's not my place, or keeping silent too long until it explodes forth in the wrong way instead of 'speaking the truth in love'. Truly, 'if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. . .but the tongue can no man tame'. James 3 So, silence is assent, hmmmm? I don't think it's best to keep quiet when we disagree. Who has the courage to keep speaking up? Does it ever do any good? No answers here--just questions. Go to someone else's blog if you want all the answers, 'cause you're not going to find them here!