Week Twenty-Two, 2018
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel (Judges 3:31).
If only….. if only. If only I had these talents, I could do great things. Life is full of “if only’s”. Most of us think about achieving greatness in a given area, but sit back and do nothing. We don’t think we have the talent to succeed in certain areas of life or we sit back and do nothing because we think our encumbrances will hold us back.
Stephen Hawking, the renown physicist, and avowed atheist died recently. Hawking, who was 76, wasn’t expected to live past age 25. When he was 21 he was diagnosed with ALS, the incurable neurodegenerative disease. Although he beat the odds for more than 50 years he once said that he “lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years.”
Hawking said of the meaning of life. “Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” Notwithstanding his severe physical limitations, his mind remained brilliant and he became one of the premier physicists of modern times. Though unfortunately an atheist, he made great contributions to understanding the universe and its “black holes” His “cosmic curiosity” was unlimited by ALS. His best-selling book sold over ten million copies and led to a documentary film.
The world is full of people who overcame to rise to greatness. Kris Carr turned her cancer into a business of hope and healing. In 2003, Karr was a 32-year-old New Yorker just enjoying life. But then, a regular checkup at her doctor’s office resulted in a diagnosis of a rare and incurable Stage IV cancer called epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, existing in her liver and lungs.
Instead of succumbing to the disease, Carr decided to challenge her diagnosis head on. She attacked her cancer with a brand new nutritional lifestyle, and turned her experience into a series of successful self-help books and documentaries. Eventually, she launched her own wellness website, which is followed by over 40,000 people. Today, Karr is celebrating a decade of “thriving with cancer,” and is now revered as one of the most prominent experts on healthy living.
Shamgar was a king of Israel, mentioned almost parenthetically in the Bible. One verse of the Bible summarizes his period of leadership. Judges 3:31 says, “After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He, too, saved Israel.”
Since the Philistines were known as warriors, the fact that Shamgar killed 600 of them on his own was an amazing—or even miraculous—accomplishment. Using what was perhaps a crude, ancient version of a bow staff, Shamgar destroyed the enemies of Israel. The only other judge to show such strength would be Samson.
What do all of these people have in common? They demonstrate that life isn’t what you have, but what you make of the opportunity at hand. Shamgar’s brief notoriety in the Bible lends itself to three success secrets.
- Start where you are.
- Use what you have.
- Do what you can.
Those who follow those examples can rise to success and even greatness not matter what limitations they have.
However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” Stephen Hawking
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
FREEDOM – Galatians 5:13:
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Be cautious about how you use freedom. Do it responsibly
THE FATHER’S LOVE:
The foundation of our Christian life is a relationship with God. It is foundational to every facet of a healthy walk with God, physical health, emotional and mental health. Many Christians follow God, serve God, go to church, sing His praise, but when they are truly honest, they struggle with this most foundational question? Does God really love ME? They know what the Bible says, but the question lingers. Have I sinned too much? Am I good enough?
Unfortunately, many people have struggled to believe God loves them, because they never felt the love of an earthly father. For some, the expression “Father God” sends shivers up their spine. This problem impacts every area of one’s life.
COAL PILES:
In his book “Seeing Life: Finding God,” James L. Merrell, tells the story of a small, rural Tennessee church, from the 19th century that got into a fierce squabble which resulted in division.
The 100 member church was split right down the middle. There was no resolution. Neither side had the resources to build or buy its own building so they agreed to use the same building but meet at different times. However, they had a separate treasury to pay their own bills. They even had separate piles of coal to fuel the pot belly furnace to heat the building in the winter.
All went along fine for a while until someone decided to make a statement of faith about the warring little congregation. Their fading church sign still proudly advertised under their name “One Lord. One Faith. One baptism.” But a spray painter added in bold letters under it “But Two Coal Piles.”
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
- In grammar school they taught me that a frog turning into a prince was a fairy tale. In the university they taught me that a frog turning into a prince was a fact. Ron Carlson
- Great leaders learn from their failures.
- Failure can strengthen, rather than destroy, your leadership.
- Old age is always 15 years older than I am!!!
- A pragmatist is someone who is practical and focused on reaching a goal. A pragmatist usually has a straightforward, matter-of-fact approach and doesn’t let emotion distract him or her.
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©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618