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Spiritual Bread for the Spirit Bred
"For God so loved the world that He gave His onlyh begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16 - NKJV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His onlyh begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16 - NKJV)
SPIRIT BREAD WEEKLY
JUST STAY PUT
By Jerry D. Ousley
By Jerry D. Ousley
Just Stay Put
By Jerry D. Ousley
Has anyone ever said that to you? “Just stay where you are,” or, in the hill language of the American East, “Just stay put.” That can be said in many and various situations, and the gist of the phrase is that you are better off where you are.
Now, that is true depending on the situation. If you are into something that is detrimental to your health, like for instance, in the middle of a forest fire, staying put isn’t such a good idea. On the other hand, there are times when someone might just be looking for a place to change their life, thinking that relocating will make that happen, when, in fact, running from a situation only re-locates the problem. In that case, staying put makes a lot of sense. We can’t run from our problems because they have a tendency to follow us wherever we go.
In 2 Samual 19:31-40 a man by the name of Barzillai did just that. It’s kind of a long story so I will try to summarize it the best I can. King David’s son, Absolom had led a revolt against his father. In a coupe, he had decided that he would make a better king over Judah. He had a dynamic personality and so he had managed to convince enough people that it was so, that David, for the first time since he was a king (that we read about anyway) feared for his life. He gathered those who were still loyal to him and fled Jerusalem. He hadn’t been gone long until Absolom moved in.
While the king and his caravan looked for a place on the other side of the Jordan river, Barzillai, who was a very rich man, gave him provision and looked after him. In the long run of the story, Absolom was defeated and David and company was ready to return to Jerusalem.
Because of the man’s hospitality, David asked Barzillai to go to Jerusalem with him, stating that he would provide for the elderly gentleman for the rest of his life. But Barzillai refused. He knew that, because of his age (he was 80) that he would be better satisfied at home. He knew that it was better for him to just stay put.
What he did do was to suggest to David that Chimham go with him in his place. Some think that Chimham was a son of Barzillai, and perhaps he was, but there is no real Biblical proof to that effect. He could have been a good friend to the elderly man, whom he wanted to give a helping hand in life. Certainly going to live with David would be a great advantage and a boost to anyone’s financial and social status. Whether he was a son or not, he got an unexpected break.
We can learn a lot from Barzillai. He had wisdom with age. He knew that, for him anyway, that staying put was better for his personal health and well-being. He had lived his life there and you know the old saying, “we get set in our ways.” That statement is truer than you might think. I know from experience. As we age, we don’t welcome much change. In my life, I know that the older I get the more I just want to be at home – I want to stay put.
Another lesson we need to learn as we age is that it is good to pass our wisdom and the torch of life on to those in the next, upcoming generation. Sometimes that’s a hard decision to make. We often don’t want to admit that we just can’t do what we used to do. We don’t like the fact that our bodies get stiff and we can’t just get down on our knees and work like we used to. We don’t want to stay put.
But life demands otherwise. It’s easier for us if we are just willing to admit our limitations that have come on with age, and gracefully and willingly pass on the torch.
There are a couple of advantages in doing that (well, maybe there’s more than a couple). When we willingly pass things on to the next generation, they are a bit more open minded and willing to listen to our advice and wisdom. When we are stubborn and refuse to give up without a fight that willingness to accept wisdom becomes very difficult, because, frankly, we have become difficult.
Secondly, man we just need the rest! When we refuse to recognize the time we should step aside, we only bring life down on us hard! It is much better to realize that we just can’t do what we used to do, than it is for our bodies to demand that we don’t do what we used to do. We can live our latter days in more peace and with contentment we couldn’t imagine before. So, take it as a gift from God and rest in it.
The greatest piece of advice we can give as a senior to the next generation is that they must learn to rely on God. Very often that only comes with age and experience. Listen, our elders have a value that has shifted from hands on work to life-experience advice that they can share. If you are from the next generation, you are wise to seek out those who have been there before and learn from them. I know from experience myself that it will save you a lot of headaches and having to learn things the hard way.
When I was in my thirties, I landed a job that required me to do things that I had no idea of how to do. Have you been there? I’d be willing to wager that you have. On one particular occasion, I had become extremely frustrated because I had been given a task in which I had no idea of how to do it. But I had to find a way. An older gentleman who worked down the hall from me overheard my frustrated and frantic remarks.
With more calm than I had ever experienced, he came to me with a piece of advice that I received and lived by thereafter. I will never forget it and am always eager to pass that bit of wisdom along to one from the next generation. He said, “Jerry, you don’t have to know how to do everything. All you really need to know is someone who knows how to do what you need to do. Ask them for their advice.” In other words, he was sharing that building a reservoir of people who knew pieces of what I needed, as advisors was a very wise move, and it also made work and life much easier. I followed his advice over the years and it paid off over and over again.
That works not only with the secular world but also with the spiritual. We can often find ourselves in situations in which it seems God doesn’t provide an answer directly to us. That’s because it is either in His Word or from a life-experience of someone who has already been there who is willing to share what they have learned.
So when you are tempted to move on but you know it isn’t the right thing to do, stay put. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” When we have exhausted our minds, or bodies and our strength, and have drained any other resources we may have, Paul was simply saying, “stay put.” Stand still in the full spiritual armor of God and see what the Holy Spirit can to for you when you stay put.
By Jerry D. Ousley
Has anyone ever said that to you? “Just stay where you are,” or, in the hill language of the American East, “Just stay put.” That can be said in many and various situations, and the gist of the phrase is that you are better off where you are.
Now, that is true depending on the situation. If you are into something that is detrimental to your health, like for instance, in the middle of a forest fire, staying put isn’t such a good idea. On the other hand, there are times when someone might just be looking for a place to change their life, thinking that relocating will make that happen, when, in fact, running from a situation only re-locates the problem. In that case, staying put makes a lot of sense. We can’t run from our problems because they have a tendency to follow us wherever we go.
In 2 Samual 19:31-40 a man by the name of Barzillai did just that. It’s kind of a long story so I will try to summarize it the best I can. King David’s son, Absolom had led a revolt against his father. In a coupe, he had decided that he would make a better king over Judah. He had a dynamic personality and so he had managed to convince enough people that it was so, that David, for the first time since he was a king (that we read about anyway) feared for his life. He gathered those who were still loyal to him and fled Jerusalem. He hadn’t been gone long until Absolom moved in.
While the king and his caravan looked for a place on the other side of the Jordan river, Barzillai, who was a very rich man, gave him provision and looked after him. In the long run of the story, Absolom was defeated and David and company was ready to return to Jerusalem.
Because of the man’s hospitality, David asked Barzillai to go to Jerusalem with him, stating that he would provide for the elderly gentleman for the rest of his life. But Barzillai refused. He knew that, because of his age (he was 80) that he would be better satisfied at home. He knew that it was better for him to just stay put.
What he did do was to suggest to David that Chimham go with him in his place. Some think that Chimham was a son of Barzillai, and perhaps he was, but there is no real Biblical proof to that effect. He could have been a good friend to the elderly man, whom he wanted to give a helping hand in life. Certainly going to live with David would be a great advantage and a boost to anyone’s financial and social status. Whether he was a son or not, he got an unexpected break.
We can learn a lot from Barzillai. He had wisdom with age. He knew that, for him anyway, that staying put was better for his personal health and well-being. He had lived his life there and you know the old saying, “we get set in our ways.” That statement is truer than you might think. I know from experience. As we age, we don’t welcome much change. In my life, I know that the older I get the more I just want to be at home – I want to stay put.
Another lesson we need to learn as we age is that it is good to pass our wisdom and the torch of life on to those in the next, upcoming generation. Sometimes that’s a hard decision to make. We often don’t want to admit that we just can’t do what we used to do. We don’t like the fact that our bodies get stiff and we can’t just get down on our knees and work like we used to. We don’t want to stay put.
But life demands otherwise. It’s easier for us if we are just willing to admit our limitations that have come on with age, and gracefully and willingly pass on the torch.
There are a couple of advantages in doing that (well, maybe there’s more than a couple). When we willingly pass things on to the next generation, they are a bit more open minded and willing to listen to our advice and wisdom. When we are stubborn and refuse to give up without a fight that willingness to accept wisdom becomes very difficult, because, frankly, we have become difficult.
Secondly, man we just need the rest! When we refuse to recognize the time we should step aside, we only bring life down on us hard! It is much better to realize that we just can’t do what we used to do, than it is for our bodies to demand that we don’t do what we used to do. We can live our latter days in more peace and with contentment we couldn’t imagine before. So, take it as a gift from God and rest in it.
The greatest piece of advice we can give as a senior to the next generation is that they must learn to rely on God. Very often that only comes with age and experience. Listen, our elders have a value that has shifted from hands on work to life-experience advice that they can share. If you are from the next generation, you are wise to seek out those who have been there before and learn from them. I know from experience myself that it will save you a lot of headaches and having to learn things the hard way.
When I was in my thirties, I landed a job that required me to do things that I had no idea of how to do. Have you been there? I’d be willing to wager that you have. On one particular occasion, I had become extremely frustrated because I had been given a task in which I had no idea of how to do it. But I had to find a way. An older gentleman who worked down the hall from me overheard my frustrated and frantic remarks.
With more calm than I had ever experienced, he came to me with a piece of advice that I received and lived by thereafter. I will never forget it and am always eager to pass that bit of wisdom along to one from the next generation. He said, “Jerry, you don’t have to know how to do everything. All you really need to know is someone who knows how to do what you need to do. Ask them for their advice.” In other words, he was sharing that building a reservoir of people who knew pieces of what I needed, as advisors was a very wise move, and it also made work and life much easier. I followed his advice over the years and it paid off over and over again.
That works not only with the secular world but also with the spiritual. We can often find ourselves in situations in which it seems God doesn’t provide an answer directly to us. That’s because it is either in His Word or from a life-experience of someone who has already been there who is willing to share what they have learned.
So when you are tempted to move on but you know it isn’t the right thing to do, stay put. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” When we have exhausted our minds, or bodies and our strength, and have drained any other resources we may have, Paul was simply saying, “stay put.” Stand still in the full spiritual armor of God and see what the Holy Spirit can to for you when you stay put.