March 24, 2005

[Rev. Doc]

Do It Regardless

"An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."
Proverbs 29:6-7

Much of what we do centers on the return profits for ourselves or how others will view us because of our actions. Our driving force should be honoring God.

Bishop Able Muzore tells of a critical period in his life when he had been asked by his people to lead the African National Council. He knew that all previous leaders in Rhodesia who had criticized government policies that were unjust to Black Rhodesians had been either deported from the country, put in a restricted camp, or killed.

He struggled with his decision and prayed as he had never prayed before. He did not want to be killed or deported or placed in a restricted camp, yet his people were calling him to lead them. As he struggled with his decision, a friend handed him this wisdom:

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered – love them anyway!

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives – do good anyway!

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies – succeed anyway!

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow – do good anyway!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable – be honest and frank anyway!

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds – think big anyway!

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs – fight for some underdog anyway!

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight – build anyway!

People really need help but may attack you if you help them – help people anyway!

Give the world the best you’ve got and you’ll get kicked in the teeth –
give the world the best you’ve got anyway!

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and boldness to follow His direction, regardless.

"For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy; and for want of care about a horseshoe nail."
~Benjamin Franklin