By Alan Smith
The story is told of a man in a
fancy restaurant who started to choke on a bone. A
doctor rushed over, identified himself as a doctor, and
reassured the man that he was going to be all
right. He performed the Heimlich maneuver and the
bone popped out.
As the man's breath and voice returned he said, "I'm ever so grateful, doctor, how can I ever repay you?"
The doctor smiled and said, "I'll settle for one-tenth of what you were willing to pay while you were choking."
It's true, isn't it, that when you're facing a crisis (especially a life-threatening crisis), you would give everything you have to get through it. Money is no object!
We do the same thing on a spiritual level. How many times have you faced hardship and prayed, "Lord, if you'll just see me through this, I'll serve you faithfully the rest of my life!" or something similar? But what happens when the crisis passes? Those feelings of urgency about serving God pass as well. If we could commit ourselves to doing one-tenth of what we're willing to do in those moments, most of us would ascend to a new level of commitment.
Paul wrote, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)
Father, there are moments in my life when I am reminded of how much I need you and how urgent it is that I commit my life to you. All too often, though, those feelings disappear, and I quickly revert back to a less-than-satisfactory level of commitment. Please forgive me and strengthen me in my resolve to reach the point where I can say with the apostle Paul, "To me, to live is Christ." In Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great day!
- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com
As the man's breath and voice returned he said, "I'm ever so grateful, doctor, how can I ever repay you?"
The doctor smiled and said, "I'll settle for one-tenth of what you were willing to pay while you were choking."
It's true, isn't it, that when you're facing a crisis (especially a life-threatening crisis), you would give everything you have to get through it. Money is no object!
We do the same thing on a spiritual level. How many times have you faced hardship and prayed, "Lord, if you'll just see me through this, I'll serve you faithfully the rest of my life!" or something similar? But what happens when the crisis passes? Those feelings of urgency about serving God pass as well. If we could commit ourselves to doing one-tenth of what we're willing to do in those moments, most of us would ascend to a new level of commitment.
Paul wrote, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)
Father, there are moments in my life when I am reminded of how much I need you and how urgent it is that I commit my life to you. All too often, though, those feelings disappear, and I quickly revert back to a less-than-satisfactory level of commitment. Please forgive me and strengthen me in my resolve to reach the point where I can say with the apostle Paul, "To me, to live is Christ." In Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great day!
- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com
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