People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Our Utter Dependence on God
I was asking a dear friend to pray for me regarding a stronghold in my life. She quickly brought to my attention that sometimes strongholds are not removed in order to make us realize our utter dependence on God. Not what I wanted to hear - but true all the same!!
Question: "What was Paul's thorn in the flesh?"
Answer: So that Paul would not forget, God allowed him to be inflicted with a constant reminder of his weakness. Countless explanations concerning the nature of his thorn in the flesh have been offered. They range from incessant temptation, dogged opponents, chronic maladies (such as eye problems (Galatians 4:15), malaria, migraine headaches, and epilepsy), to a disability in speech. No one can say for sure what his was, but it probably was a physical affliction (for the work of Satan in this, cf. 1 Corinthians 5:5; 10:10).It is understandable that Paul would consider this thorn a hindrance to wider or more effective ministry (Galatians 5:14-16) and that he would repeatedly petition God for its removal (2 Corinthians 12:8). But he learned from this experience the lesson that dominates this letter: divine power is best displayed against the backdrop of human weakness (2 Corinthians 4:7) so that God alone is praised (2 Corinthians 10:17). Rather than removing the problem God gave him grace and strength in it and through it.
From: Gotquestions.com
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