The Best Minute: False assumptions, following Jesus, and beating temptation
2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS
I. Edward R. Murrow on what happens when we assume know everything:
The Wright brothers' first flight was not reported in a single newspaper because every rookie reporter knew what could and couldn't be done.
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II. Eugene Peterson on following Jesus:
“To follow Jesus implies that we enter into a way of life that is given character and shape and direction by the one who calls us. To follow Jesus means picking up rhythms and ways of doing things that are often unsaid but always derivative from Jesus, formed by the influence of Jesus.
To follow Jesus means that we can't separate what Jesus is saying from what Jesus is doing and the way that he is doing it. To follow Jesus is as much, or maybe even more, about feet as it is about ears and eyes."
2 IDEAS FROM ME
I. Rejecting temptation or undesirable outcomes is more about avoidance than self-will.
A wise recovering alcoholic avoids the bar altogether, he doesn’t sit at the bar ordering soda water trying to will himself away from a drink. A wise recovering social media addict deletes Instagram off her phone, she doesn’t leave it on her front page trying not to click on the app every time she opens her phone.
If there is a temptation or struggle you are trying to overcome, remove the temptation altogether rather than depending on your self-will. You can’t fail if you don’t have access to it to begin with.
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II. Progress doesn’t need to be fast, you just want to keep going forward. Moving forward > speed.
1 INTERESTING FACT
The passenger windows on an airplane are round for a reason. After a series of accidents in the early days of commercial flying, engineers uncovered that having square windows with sharp corners compromised the safety of the aircraft. On the other hand, round windows can take repeated pressure during a flight.
Source: Kiwi
1 QUESTION TO LEAVE YOU WITH
What is a small but courageous decision I can make this week?
