July 5, 2022
Upcoming Events
- Saturday, July 16, Men’s Breakfast, 8 a.m., FLC
- Sunday, July 17, Ice Cream Churn-Off, 6 p.m., FLC
- Monday, July 18, Middle School Monday
- Wednesday-Saturday, July 20-23 WSM Disciple Now
- Sunday-Wednesday, July 24-27, VBS
JULY PRAYER FOCUS: SHOWING MERCY AND GRACE TO OTHERS
Devotional Thought for the Week
What I Know Now About My Limitations
By Howard W. Norton
Once upon a time, I believed I could solve just
about any problem that came my way. Some would call this pride; others would
call it, more graciously, self-confidence, while others might call it
ignorance. However you label it, I’ve learned I’m not the Mr. Fix-It I used to
think I was.
For example, as the father of adult children and
grandchildren, I’ve found I can’t fix anything about their lives unless they
want to change. I can pray for them, provide them with an example worthy of
imitation, exhort them without nagging, and love them no matter what—but I
can’t fix them.
As a preacher and elder, I have also learned I can do little or nothing to save a marriage when either or both spouses have decided to divorce. By the time a church leader hears of a marriage in trouble, the couple is usually not open to pleading based on friendship, common sense, or God’s Word. The situation may break our hearts, but we can’t afford to let it keep us awake at night. I am not Mr. Fix-It, and neither are my fellow workers in the Lord.
Early in my ministry, I thought I could persuade almost any lost sheep to return to the fold. After all, I was an experienced door-to-door Bible salesman, a college graduate, and a former member of the college debate team. I approached any lost or straying sheep with confidence.
Thus, I was shaken when Jane and I made our first visit to an out-of-duty dairyman and his wife in Central Texas. I thought they would be glad to meet the new preacher and his wife. We quickly discovered that the couple had zero interest in us or the church. I left their house that day feeling deflated. Mr. Fix-It had tried and failed.
Many years have passed, and I’m still learning I can’t make everything right that’s wrong or fix everything that’s broken. What I can do is pray for those situations and people I can’t personally fix and cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he fixes me. Together, the Holy Spirit and I can make me what Jesus wants me to be—a man of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).