From the Inside Out

Wisdom dictates that we learn from our mistakes. Better yet is to learn from the mistakes of others, and save the trouble of making them ourselves.

Listed below are a few of my recent mistakes, which may provide a learning opportunity. Actually, they’re typing errors—typos with significance!

Example #1:

Instead of thankfulness, I typed thinkfulness.

My mistake reminded me of a quote I read years ago: “If we would think more, we would thank more.”

And why is thankfulness a worthwhile pursuit? According to recent research, multiple benefits result from expressing gratitude:

• Better physical health
• Better sleep
• Better relationships
• Lower stress levels
• More optimistic attitude
• Longer life

Seems like scripture was right all along: “Whatever is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9) That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? Peace of mind and heart contributes to the items on that list. And gratitude is key.

 Example #2:

I meant to type worship, but what appeared on the screen was workship.

The truth is, worship does involve work. Not the work of getting to church on time, or the effort of tuning out distractions to focus on God. As valuable as those objectives are, there’s more.

Paul tells us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). True worship involves the work of obedience.

But again, God provides benefits that far outweigh the effort. Psalm 112 reveals a number of them:

• Households are blessed (vs. 2-3)
• God’s light breaks through the darkness (v. 4)
• Goodness comes (v. 5)
• Strength develops (vs. 6-7)
• Joy and peace fill the heart (v. 8)

 No doubt there are dozens more scattered through scripture. That’s one of the things I greatly appreciate about our God. When He asks us to work at something, and we comply, He generously blesses us!

Example #3:

Somehow my stumbling fingers produced medication on my computer screen instead of meditation.

It occurred to me, though, that meditating upon God and His Word works like medication to:

• Ease the aches and pains of life, such as miserable circumstances or  hurtful people
• Calm the acid of frustration
• Speed the healing of stinging remarks and wounded feelings

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul” (Psalm 19:7a)!

Example #4:

I saved the best for last. My intention was to make this point:

It is our responsibility and joy to “minister encouragement and hope into the lives of others.”

That’s what I meant. Here’s what I typed:

“Minister encouragement and hope into the livers of others.”

Wings of Encouragement

Quite silly at first glance; quite profound after some introspection.

You see, everything that goes into our body goes through the liver. It is in the liver that transformation takes place, the food we eat becoming nutrients.

Here’s the application: In order for our words of encouragement to be transformational, they must sink deep into the core of our listener. The comments need to be thoughtful and spoken with conviction. Glib platitudes will never nourish a hungry soul.

Another interesting fact about the liver: To some extent, this organ is able to remove toxins from the body. That’s what we can do with our words of hope. We can help overcome the toxins that have collected in a person’s spirit.

So, my friends, let’s:

Be thinkful in our thankfulness.

Embrace obedience as a spiritual act of workship.

Meditate on God and His Word, as medication for our souls.

Minister heartfelt encouragement and hope into the livers of others.

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And please share the outcomes of your efforts to make something meaningful out of these mishaps!