BY JACK WARD
PASTOR, TOMAHAWK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
A man was hired to paint the lines on the highway that divide the lanes. Now the company didn’t have a lot of resources, so he had to do his painting on foot. After the first day at work, his supervisor was very impressed when he learned that this new employee had painted 3 miles’ worth of lines.
Unfortunately, the next day his results were not quite as impressive. He was only able to extend the lines for 2 miles. The third day he only painted less than 1 mile of lines.
The supervisor went from being impressed to being concerned. The new employee’s performance was now not acceptable. He called him into his office and said, “I’m going to have to let you go.” The employee dropped his head and got up to leave. As he went out the door, he turned and said, “It’s not my fault. I’ve never worked so hard in all my life. It’s just that the paint bucket keeps getting farther and farther away.”
Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? I’m sure it would. You see, the truth is that the thing is what it is, not what someone calls it. Names are assigned to us based on our outward circumstances by ourselves and other people.
“Failure, Stupid, Dummy” are all names that label us. But what we are called by others or ourselves does not determine who we are. It might speak of those external circumstances but be wholly inaccurate.
You see, a failure is not someone who fails. In reality, the people who fail the most are the ones who succeed. You only succeed by taking risks, and risk-taking brings many failures along the way. A failure is someone who simply doesn’t try. No, names do not determine who you are. You are who you are on the inside.
So, the first important lesson is that we must cultivate the inner person. The inner person is the person who counts. The apostle Paul desired that we be strengthened in the inner man. “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
It is the inner man that counts. We can get strong on the outside and be great physical specimens, but we can be a wreck on the inside. You can beautify the outside but inside be full of ugliness. There won’t be any weightlifters in heaven. There won’t be any marathon runners in glory. God won’t test your physical fitness and strength when you face Him, but He will test the strength of Christ in your life. Work on the inner man by strengthening your relationship with Christ. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We are only as strong as our personal relationship with Christ. How strong is your inner man?
Hear Pastor Jack’s Sermons and get his full sermon outlines and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com.