Tag: climb

Negativity

On By josephbarlowIn JournalLeave a comment

Negativity can be poisonous. It creates an environment where fresh new ideas are afraid to come out. They run for their lives. They won’t dare show themselves in a negative environment. Fresh, creative ideas need a friendly atmosphere where there is acceptance, consideration and hopeful thinking.

If you don’t believe things could get better why would you accept something that might promise some improvement?

Strong criticism shuts everybody up except for those who are willing to be quite vocal with their negative talk. It’s more of the same. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Say it’s bad and it’s getting worse and voila! Surprise, surprise! Look what happens: things get worse.

Negativity is like gravity. It always pulls you down. Well, some may say it helps you keep your feet on the ground. If you really want to submit to gravity, why stand on your feet at all? Why not just lay down?

Negativity pulls you down. Resist the gravity. Stand up. Climb up. Jump up. Get up. Lift up. Speak up. Shout it. Give resistance to gravity. Resist negativity.

Getting To Jesus

On By josephbarlowIn TeachingLeave a comment

He climbed a tree. He was short of stature. He wasn’t a tall man, but he was hungry. The life he’d been living had its perks but peace wasn’t one of them. Taking & cheating are soul-diminishing practices but it can make the bank balance go up. If you’re hungry for money and pursue it you should pray you won’t be successful. The leanness of soul that it will produce in you is actually painful.

That’s where this man was. He was a taker. A cheat. Full of himself and his own greed, but who was this new fellow? His life was a constant outflow. He was just giving. Compare a drain to a fountain. That would be Zacchaeus and Jesus. Jesus just overflowed and people were attracted to him. Zach was always on the take and people fled from him. It’s a lonely life being on the take. There is no one to enjoy all of your ill-gotten gains with. Oh he was rich alright, but not in things that would satisfy his soul.

Now he was hungry. He saw Jesus. Heard about how He operated. Was intent again on getting what He wanted. He wanted to see Jesus. So he climbed the tree to have his way. But this day he got more than he bargained for.

The Giver came right up to the tree that Zacchaeus had climbed, he looked right at the Taker and said, “Zacchaeus come down from there for I’m going to eat at your house today.” Have you ever told someone that you are going to eat at their house? I’ve never been so bold. Now Jesus was not asking. He was telling the taker that He was taking from HIM today. Now this was more than he had bargained for. The Taker was being taken by the Giver!

So Jesus goes to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner and Zacchaeus is so excited that he repents and decides to give back all the things he had taken. Some even four-fold. Jesus said to him, “This day salvation has come to this house!”

Now how did the Giver bring salvation to the taker? By getting him started in the giving process.

Well, my friend, what is your title? Are you a giver or a taker?