daily word - verbal injury

Dale Cresap's picture

Have you heard school kids say, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me? This is a nice sentiment but it isn’t true. Words can be painful. Have you ever heard words of criticism or attack directed at you that were as painful as any injury? For they are an attack on your very identity and worth and value. Cruel words don’t leave visible marks or require bandages, but have you found that you need healing from attacks of this type as much as from a physical injury? Where do you go to get this?

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daily word - algebra

Dale Cresap's picture

Have you taken algebra class or any other math class? Did you have to solve problems to pass the course? What if the answers had been given to you with the problems and there were no tests? Would you have learned to solve the equations yourself? Do you see any parallel with your faith? When you go to church are you provided with answers to every question, or are you encouraged to engage with the questions yourself? Is there more to your faith than having right answers? Like the algebra class it is beneficial to you to work through the problems to learn the skill of relating to me.

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daily word - you will die

Dale Cresap's picture

Do you know that you will die? This awaits everyone, and people understand it in the abstract, but do they live with the awareness that it will affect them personally? How should you live your life with the awareness that it will not go on forever, at least here. A morbid fixation on death is a bad choice, but so is living unaware, as if life would go on forever. Should the certainty of death give your life a sense of urgency?

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daily word - being right

Dale Cresap's picture

Do you care about being right? Do you care about people and maintaining strong relationships with them? Which is more important? Have you ever been in a dilemma between these things? Your culture teaches you to never back down when you are right. Have you ever been in a situation where proving yourself right was less important than maintaining a friendship? If you decided that being right mattered more was it concerning something transient or your opinion or taste, or was it standing up for transcendent and eternal truth?

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daily word - joyful noise

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Do you make a joyful noise unto me? You are commanded to do this and yet how many do? You have technology available to record and distribute the best performances of the most talented people. Do you see this as a great benefit? Does it discourage you from singing yourself? What about your church? Corporate worship is so central to church life that the meetings are called worship services. Do you see those in charge of this as performers or as leading others? The quality of leadership can be measured by the degree of participation of those attending.

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daily word - learning

Dale Cresap's picture

You live in a culture that values learning. What is the purpose of education? One school of thought is to learn the skills you need for employment. This is valuable, but it is a utilitarian approach. You see your faith as transcendent. Can your education be as well? Do you draw a strong distinction between spiritual and secular education? Do you see any source of truth other than me? Do you see your curiosity as a gift from me, as an invitation to follow me in learning the means I have used to structure the world and to help you find your place in it?

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daily word - resemblance

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Are you familiar with the concept of family resemblance? You look for and expect to see similar features of appearance among those who are blood relatives. This extends to mannerisms and conduct as well, and in the long run this is a more important influence than appearance. Do you accept the Biblical assertion that Adam was made in my image? By inference this would extend to all of his descendants. So, everyone is made in my image. Do you look for this family resemblance in everyone you meet? If you accept this premise, then you should see me in everyone you meet. Do you?

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daily word - spare time

Dale Cresap's picture

Do you judge people for the way they spend their money and their free time? These are highly personal preferences and you probably feel as strongly about yours as they do about theirs. Is this a basis for judging them? You may consider their pursuits to be a waste of time and money but if they aren’t harming anyone why would you care about how they spend their time? This is an area in which you should judge yourself and not others. Are you deriving the maximum benefit from the finite amount of time available to you?

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daily word - shepherds

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I lamented over the people as being sheep without a shepherd. The structure of the religious organization of the day was not serving the needs of the people. Do you see the same situation today? Do you see the available spiritual resources as adequate for the task? You have more available today than ever before in terms of publications, broadcasts, places to meet, and teachers. In that sense the situation is far different from the time I made the statement. So how can the statement still be true? Do sheep seek out the resources they need for life? How can you be a shepherd?

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daily word - grateful?

Dale Cresap's picture

My teachings include being grateful and being loving. Do these sound like lofty ideals? I made it real when I taught that you were even to love your enemies. In like manner it is easy to be grateful in times of abundance and peace. Does the same principle still hold in times of deprivation and affliction? You may not be grateful for these things as such, so what does gratitude look like when they are present? Can you view your afflictions with curiosity rather than resentment? Can you pay attention to what you may learn from them?

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