Poetry Saturday—If None

March 12, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

If none were sick and none were sad,
   What service could we render?
I think if we were always glad
   We scarcely could be tender.
Did our beloved never need
   Our patient ministration,
Earth would grow cold and miss indeed
   Its sweetest consolation.
If sorrow never claimed our heart,
   And every wish were granted,
Patience would die and hope depart—
   Life would be disenchanted. —Anonymous


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Poetry Saturday—A Lost Opportunity

September 5, 2020 — Craig T. Owens 




It came and went so quickly,


   My sluggish soul saw not


The Master stand and beckoning


   Toward one of humble lot.




And I rose not up to follow,


   So slow was I to see,


Till the help I might have given


   Forever fled from me.




And often I am grieving,


   And longing all in vain,


For a blessed opportunity


   That will not come again.




Dear Lord, give Thine anointing,


   And make mine eyes to see;


And make me swift in doing


   The work Thou givest to me. —L. Adda Nichols








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Thursdays With Oswald—Using The Sword For Good And Not Harm

January 18, 2018 — Craig T. Owens 




Oswald ChambersThis is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.


Using The Sword For Good And Not Harm


     The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here.…” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.” (1 Samuel 21:9)


     Now it seems quite obvious that if you are not David and are trying to use Goliath’s sword, you will do far more harm to yourself than damage to the enemy. You must be in the direct line of succession to David. … What is the same family connection in this dispensation? Why, those who are born again of the Spirit of God, and those who are so identified with the Lord Jesus that they have entered into the experience of entire sanctification. When they use the Word of God they do not damage themselves, nor hurt other souls; but they do great damage to the kingdom of the devil and bring benefit to the souls of men. …


    The Christian worker must rely on the Holy Spirit to direct them as to what to say in the case of every soul that comes. Do not rely on your memory, do not remember how you dealt with cases in the past, but recognize and rely on the Holy Spirit that He will bring to your remembrance the particular verse for you to apply at this time. … Beware of anything that does not fling you straight back in reliance on the Holy Spirit as the most practical factor you know in bringing it to your remembrance the Word of God and how to apply it. … 


     For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)


     A remarkable thing about this Book of God is that for every type of human being we come across there is a distinct, clear line laid down here as to the way to apply God’s truth to it. 


From Workmen Of God


If Christians are going to help others, they have to start with helping themselves. They do this by immersing themselves in the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to show them how to live out the biblical principles. This equips us to help others.


Then when someone in need comes to us, don’t be too quick to draw your spiritual sword. Listen to them and listen to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God can direct you to the right Word of God for that person’s need. This is the only way to use the sword of the Spirit in a way that will help others, glorify God, and make you unashamed before God of your conduct.






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10 Steps To Help Someone Through A Tragedy

September 5, 2017 — Craig T. Owens 




Christians should be the best at loving others and supporting them through a tragedy. When someone’s world is rocked by an unexpected heartache like a miscarriage, a suicide, a difficult medical diagnosis, or even a hurricane, here is my list of 10 steps to help someone through this trying time. You may watch this short video, or see the list of 10 items below…




    

  1. Just be there for them.
    2. 

  2. Listen.
    3. 

  3. Listen.
    4. 

  4. Listen to them some more.
    5. 

  5. Don’t try to “fix” their problem.
    6. 

  6. “Weep with those who weep.”
    7. 

  7. Don’t defend God (like Job’s friends tried to do).
    8. 

  8. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you insight.
    9. 

  9. Remind them of their responsibility now—your choices to go forward, how will you honor their memory, how can you help others in a similar situation, what does this make you think about your eternity?
    10. 

  10. Stay in touch for the long haul. Remember the birthday of their dead loved one; be there for the anniversary date of a marriage, the day their loved one died; go to those doctor’s appointments with them; roll up your sleeves and work alongside them. Use your creativity to proactively be there for them.
    11. 







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6 Quotes On Helping Others

January 19, 2017 — Craig T. Owens 




think-on-these-thingsJohn Maxwell, in his book Think On These Things, challenges us to think differently about the world around us. Here are six quotes on how we should think differently about those who are in need.


“The beauty of genuine concern is its willingness to become involved without being influenced by the ‘price tag.’”


“How many lives are wasted and destroyed because the world’s attitudes and actions toward needy people say ‘I couldn’t care less’? How beautiful this world would be if this unchristian philosophy was replaced with Christian attitudes until people would begin saying, ‘I couldn’t care more.’ If I am to say to my world, ‘I couldn’t care more,’ I must open my eyes and look for hurting people.”


“Jesus was concerned that others would see the hurts of humanity and respond with care. Too many times we, like the disciples, see only the problems of people. We feel the frustration of their failures and the weight of their weaknesses. We remember only the reliance upon our strength and forget our obligation to freely give what we have received.”


“My helping hand to a needy world is empty unless love is the motive. Material handouts are a poor substitute for love and understanding. People do not need more trinkets, they need more tenderness.”


“It is sad to realize that many people have needs that very few can meet. The reason? Most people concentrate their efforts on picking fruit instead of producing it.”


“The next time you want to help someone who is in difficulty, stop and think. Why not change your approach? Instead of ‘telling it like it is’ why not ‘tell it like it could be.’ Before you begin to question my motives, let me state that I am not asking you to be dishonest. I did not say, ‘Tell it like it could never be.’ I said, ‘Tell it like it could be!’ … When you ‘tell it like it could be’ you help others to see things more clearly. There is no better way to change a problem than to help someone see a solution. Many times people with problems become slaves to their situation because they can see nothing but problems.”


To read more quotes from Think On These Things, click here. To read a review of this book, click here. And to see quotes from John Maxwell and other notable thinkers that I post daily, please follow me on Twitter and Tumblr.






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John Maxwell On Helping Others

December 8, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




In John Maxwell’s book Think On These Things, he encourages us to think about our world the way Jesus thinks about the world. This must lead to us loving and serving others!


maxwell-stooping“The way to the top is not ‘stepping on others,’ but ‘stooping to help others.’”


“How many lives are wasted and destroyed because the world’s attitudes and actions toward needy people say ‘I couldn’t care less’? How beautiful this world would be if this unchristian philosophy was replaced with Christian attitudes until people would begin saying, ‘I couldn’t care more.’ If I am to say to my world, ‘I couldn’t care more,’ I must open my eyes and look for hurting people.”


“Jesus was concerned that others would see the hurts of humanity and respond with care. Too many times we, like the disciples, see only the problems of people. We feel the frustration of their failures and the weight of their weaknesses. We remember only the reliance upon our strength and forget our obligation to freely give what we have received.” 


“My helping hand to a needy world is empty unless love is the motive. Material handouts are a poor substitute for love and understanding. People do not need more trinkets, they need more tenderness.”


“The next time you want to help someone who is in difficulty, stop and think. Why not change your approach? Instead of ‘telling it like it is’ why not ‘tell it like it could be.’ Before you begin to question my motives, let me state that I am not asking you to be dishonest. I did not say, ‘Tell it like it could never be.’ I said, ‘Tell it like it could be!’ … When you ‘tell it like it could be’ you help others to see things more clearly. There is no better way to change a problem than to help someone see a solution. Many times people with problems become slaves to their situation because they can see nothing but problems.” 


If you would like to read my review of Think On These Things, please click here. And you can read some other quotes I shared from this book by clicking here.






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Rick Warren On What Mercy Means

November 14, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




rick-warren“Mercy means…


…being patient with people’s quirks (James 3:17)


…helping anyone around you who is hurting (Proverbs 3:27)


…giving people a second chance (Ephesians 4:31-32)


…doing good to those who hurt you (Luke 6:35-36)


…being kind to those who offend you (Jude 22-23)


…building bridges of love to the unpopular (premeditated mercy) (Matthew 9:13)


…valuing relationships over rules (Romans 13:10)” —Rick Warren






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Poetry Saturday—Two Things Stand

December 12, 2015 — Craig T. Owens 




Adam Lindsay GordonQuestion not, but live and labour


   Till yon goal be won,


Helping every feeble neighbor,


   Seeking help from none;


Life is mostly froth and bubble;


   Two things stand like stone:


Kindness in another’s trouble


   Courage in our own. —Adam Lindsay Gordon






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Links & Quotes

December 7, 2015 — Craig T. Owens 




link quote


“The busyness of duties will knock us out of relationship to God more quickly than the devil.” —Oswald Chambers


“The moment I come into possession of something which my neighbor or my fellow man has not, I become a debtor to that fellow man! … It is to God, then, that in the first place Paul feels himself an infinite debtor in the fullest sense [Romans 1:14]. To God Himself he cannot pay this debt directly, but he can indirectly, by pouring out the God-given treasure upon others.” —Horatius Bonar


“To lose temper, and call names, is a common sign of a defeated cause. … The true Christian in the present day must never be surprised to find that he has constant trials to endure from this quarter. Sinful human nature never changes. So long as he serves the world, and walks in the broad way, little perhaps will be said against him. Once let him take up the cross and follow Christ, and there is no lie too monstrous, and no story too absurd, for some to tell against him, and for others to believe. But let him take comfort in the thought that he is only drinking the cup which his blessed Master drank before him. The lies of his enemies do him no injury in heaven, whatever they may on earth. Let him bear them patiently, and not fret, or lose his temper. When Christ was reviled, ‘He reviled not again’ (1 Peter 2:23). Let the Christian do likewise.” —J.C. Ryle


I like hearing this: Senator Ted Cruz points out how Congress can end abortion without the Supreme Court.


Rev. Tim Dilena shares a video message of how to finish well: Fighting The Reprehensible Thing.


Are you infringing on someone’s copyright? Check out this infographic from ChurchMag.






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9 Requisites For Contented Living

July 2, 2014 — Craig T. Owens 




Contented Living


“There are nine requisites for contented living:


    

  1. Health enough to make work a pleasure [Ecclesiastes 5:19*];
    2. 

  2. Wealth enough to support your needs [Proverbs 30:8-9];
    3. 

  3. Strength to battle with the difficulties and overcome them [1 Corinthians 15:57];
    4. 

  4. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them [James 5:16];
    5. 

  5. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished [Romans 5:3-5];
    6. 

  6. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor [Luke 10:25-37];
    7. 

  7. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others [Ephesians 4:2-3];
    8. 

  8. Faith enough to make real the things of God [Psalm 91];
    9. 

  9. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future [Psalm 33:18].” —Goethe
    10. 



* The quote is from Wolfgang Goethe, but I added the Scripture references.






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