OUR DAILY BREAD: CHECK THE OBVIOUS

[cimi]

August 13
Monday


CHECK THE
OBVIOUS

READ:
Colossians 3:12-17
__________________________

Even as Christ forgave
you, so you also must
do. __colossians 3:13
__________________________

When Bill Husted walked into his 40th high school reunion, he shook hands and hugged people for 20 minutes before realizing there were two high school reunions in the building that day and he was at the wrong one.

Husted, a technology writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, used that experience to illustrate one of his enduring axioms of computer troubleshooting: Check the obvious first. Before you replace the sound card, make sure the volume control is not turned down. If the modem isn't working, check to see if it's connected.

"Check the obvious first" can be a good principle for spiritual trouble-shooting as well. Colossians 3:12-17 lists a dozen spiritual qualities that indicate a helathy soul. Prominent among them are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, and thankfulness.

Before criticizing our church or other Christian groups, we might ask the Lord to reveal our own shortcomings. Prior to ripping out the wires of relationships, we could check to see if patience and forgiveness are connected in our own heart.

It's good to look inside our heart__to check the obvious first-even when it feels as if all our problems are caused by others. __David McCasland
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll check within my own heart first,~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The obvious to see,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~That faults I find in others~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~Are really faults in me. __D. De Haan~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christlike love is patient with the faults of others.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Colossians 3:12-17**********

12 Therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and
beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another,
and forgiving one another,
if anyone has a complaint
against another; even as
Christ forgave you, so you
also must do. 14 But above
all these things put on
love, which is the bond of
perfection.
15 And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts,
to which also you were
called in one body; and be
thankful. 16 Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom, teaching and
admonshhing one another
in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the
Lord. 17 And whatever you
do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Church music programs can sometimes spark debate about what
style of worship is appropriate. In Colossians 3:16 we see that God
delights in different kinds of praise songs. The word "psalms" refers
to actual Scripture set to music. "Hymns" are prasie songs that
express adoration directly to God. "Spiritual songs" includes an
even broader category that comprises a variety of songs with a vital
spiritual message. __HDF