JUST A THOUGHT

SUBJECT: EMOTIONS THAT HURT

T. Michael

DATE: November 22, 2013

JUST A THOUGHT: The Troubled MindNumber One

SCRIPTURE READING: (The Scriptures are included ithin the thou!ht"

COMMENT: The histor# o$ %ob is $airl# $amiliar to most &ible students' (ou ma# recall in #our readin!s o$ the boo) o$ %ob that hen three o$ his $riends heard o$ %ob*s mis$ortunes, the# came to com$ort him' &ut because o$ their $la ed theolo!#, namel# that all su$$erin! is the result o$ personal sin, %ob responded, +I have heard of many things like these; miserable comforter are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. ut my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief, (%ob 1-:2./"' Sometimes e are inclined to cast %ob*s $riends into an entirel# ne!ative li!ht' %ob did, such as characteri0in! them as men ho +smear me with lies ! worthless physicians all of you, (%ob 13:1"' 2ne must also remember that %ob had some prett# stron! thin!s to sa# about his 3ord as ell' 3ater, %ob ould repent o$ those rash statements' 4n the Ne Testament, %ames reminds us o$ the patience o$ %ob' 5e rites in %ames /:11, +"s you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. #ou have heard of

$ob%s perseverance and have seen what the &ord finally brought about. 'he &ord is full of compassion and mercy., e! "oo! mu#" be $full of compassion and mercy!% "hu# no" &''u#in( men o) #in *hen *e don+" h&,e "he )&'"# in h&nd- Too o)"en! *e &''u#e *i"hou" under#"&ndin(. The $act o$ the matter is %ob*s $riends basicall# ere !ood men' The# believed deepl# in 6od' The# ere men ho ac)no led!ed the moral purit# o$ the 7reator and the 8ustness o$ his dealin!s ith humanit#' Their /roblem *&# one o) &//li'&"ion- Thus to %ob the# applied their cause.and.e$$ect ar!ument, claimin! that %ob*s su$$erin!s resulted $rom his sins' (et the# had no clue as to hat 6od as doin! in %ob*s li$e9 the# had no clue that %ob*s su$$erin! as bein! allo ed as a tribute to his $aith' Nevertheless, still the# ere illin! to !enerali0e, and accuse %ob o$ dar) and secret sins' And, because the# had no clue the# continuousl# hounded %ob relentlessl#9 i$ he ould 8ust repent o$ his terrible sin, 6od ould remove his hardships, and all ould be ell a!ain' All o$ us become discoura!ed occasionall#' That is simpl# a part o$ bein! human' One #hould no" ho*e,er )eel "h&" di#'our&(emen" i# &l*&0# '&u#ed b0 m&n+# #in#! )or i" i# no"- Even our 3ord sometimes became discoura!ed' :or e;ample, the prophet 4saiah represents the comin! <essiah as sa#in!, +I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing., (4saiah 1=:1"' >nli)e man# o$ us ho ever, the 3ord )ne ho to ans er 5is discoura!ement' 5e continued, as is also recorded in verse 1, sa#in!, +#et what is due me is in the &ord%s hand, and my reward is with my (od., 4$ our Savior as not ithout distress on occasion, surel# e cannot e;pect to be either' I" i# no" "he )&'" "h&" one be'ome# di#'our&(ed "h&" i# #o 'ru'i&l1 r&"her! i" i# ho* #2he h&ndle# "he di#"re## "h&" i# im/or"&n"Durin! periods o$ distress is not the time to heap coals o$ blame upon our brothers and sisters' ?e need to build them up b# encoura!in! them, not discoura!in! them' 4n the boo) o$ @roverbs (chapter 2/:11", the author sa#s, +" word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver., 4n the circumstance o$ tra!ed#, a simple statement spo)en in sincerit#, such as, +4 )no ho #ou $eel,, are ords that are +like apples of gold in settings of silver', +4 )no ho #ou $eel, is $itl# spo)en to a discoura!ed person, such as one ho su$$ers $rom the loss o$ a $amil# member or ho is e;periencin! a serious ph#sical malad#' ?hatever the reason $or discoura!ement ma# be, +4 )no ho #ou $eel, is a $ittin! response' Even hen discoura!ement results $rom sin, o$ten it is not the discoura!ed that have sinned' 4 recall a personal e;perience hen an acAuaintance !ave birth to a child durin! her second marria!e' Since the birth o$ her child she has divorced and remarried at least three more times, and durin! those times, hile still married, she has had a$$airs ith other men, and in the presence o$ her child' Discoura!edB 7an #ou ima!ine the discoura!ements her child has had to $ace durin! his li$eC 4 as) #ou9 as he the victim o$ sel$, or someone else, ho as the sinnerC 2bviousl# it as not the child' >n$ortunatel#, b# some individuals, 8ust because he is discoura!ed he, too, !ets pi!eonholed as bein! a sinner' %ust hat are people thin)in! hen the# do thisB Shared ith me b# a close $riend, belo is an e;ample o$ an attitude possessed b# a person ho had ever# ri!ht to be discoura!ed:

A =2.#ear.old, petite, ell.poised and proud man, ho is $ull# dressed each mornin! b# ei!ht oDcloc), ith his hair $ashionabl# combed and shaved per$ectl#, even thou!h he is le!all# blind, moved to a nursin! home toda#' 5is i$e o$ E0 #ears recentl# passed a a#, ma)in! the move necessar#' A$ter man# hours o$ aitin! patientl# in the lobb# o$ the nursin! home, he smiled !raciousl# hen told his room as read#' As he maneuvered his al)er to the elevator, 4 provided a visual description o$ his tin# room, includin! the e#elet sheets that had been hun! on his indo ' 4 love it, he stated ith the enthusiasm o$ an ei!ht.#ear.old havin! 8ust been presented ith a ne pupp#' 4 reminded him: <r' %ones, #ou havenDt seen the room9 8ust ait' 5e replied: That doesnDt have an#thin! to do ith it' 5appiness is somethin! #ou decide on ahead o$ time' ?hether 4 li)e m# room or not doesnDt depend on ho the $urniture is arran!ed F itDs ho 4 arran!e m# mind' 4 alread# decided to love it' 4tDs a decision 4 ma)e ever# mornin! hen 4 a)e up' 4 have a choice9 4 can spend the da# in bed recountin! the di$$icult# 4 have ith the parts o$ m# bod# that no lon!er or), or !et out o$ bed and be than)$ul $or the ones Gbod# partsH that do' Each da# is a !i$t, and as lon! as m# e#es open, 4Dll $ocus on the ne da# and all the happ# memories 4Dve stored a a#F %ust $or this time in m# li$e' 2ld a!e is li)e a ban) account' (ou ithdra $rom hat #ouDve put in' So, m# advice to #ou ould be to deposit a lot o$ happiness in the ban) account o$ memoriesB 5e G<r' %onesH said: Than) #ou $or #our part in $illin! m# <emor# &an)' 4 am still depositin!' Iemember the $ive simple rules to be happ#: :ree #our heart $rom hatred' :ree #our mind $rom orries' 3ive simpl#' 6ive more' E;pect less'