M&E Wednesday

Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
by C. H. Spurgeon
Wednesday Morning, December 1

Thou hast made summer and winter.

Psalm 74:17

My soul begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind thee that he keeps his covenant with day and night, and tend to assure thee that he will also keep that glorious covenant which he has made with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to his Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in his dealings with his own well-beloved Son.

Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of our joy: he casteth forth his ice like morsels freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, he is the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness,
poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord's sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to him, and in him find joy and peace in believing. Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of his promises, and go forth to labours which befit the season, for it were ill to be as the sluggard who will not plough by reason of the cold; for he shall beg in summer and have nothing.

 

Evening, December 1

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

Psalm 107:8

If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies--common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God's redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ--our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Let the new month begin with new songs.
 

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Sweetness of Speech: The Bible's Winning Tactic for Verbal Disputes

 

Author: Daryl Wingerd

 

We all have the unfortunate ability to be fully convinced of our own rightness and yet still be wrong. This reality should make humility our governing disposition when disagreeing with others. And yet, having a humble disposition doesn't mean never taking a strong stand, never contending earnestly on important issues, or never insisting that another person needs to be corrected. Despite our capacity to misjudge things, we also have the capacity to be right, and to know for sure that we are right.

 

Let's assume for now that you are right and that someone else needs to be corrected regarding an important issue. What conversational tactics will increase the likelihood of convincing the other person of his error? Should you sarcastically expose flaws in his reasoning or ridicule his views? Should you raise your voice? Should you intimidate with facial expressions? Should you attack his character, question his motives, or rehearse his past mistakes? If you choose these tactics, you may have the truth, but you are arguing for it in unbiblical and ineffective ways.

 

Consider the Bible's recommended winning tactic when persuading others to change their views or ways:

 

The wise in heart will be called understanding, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness" (Prov. 16:21, emphasis added).

 

Whatyou say is important, but it will often fall on deaf ears if you don't learn how to say it effectively. If you want to actually convince others to change their views on important issues or to change their behavior in important ways, sweeten your speech. Make your manner of presenting the truth just as attractive as the truth itself.

 

Here are a few suggestions for how to do this:

 

1. Smile. People are put at ease by a friendly, happy face, yet they are put on guard by an overly serious look. Maintain a pleasant countenance even when discussing the most serious issues.

 

2. Speak in gentle tones. Rather than relying on volume or harshness to endorse the rightness of your position, let your words themselves, along with any necessary actions, do the convincing. Parents, for example, who address disobedient children calmly and rationally (and then consistently follow up with firm corrective discipline) are the ones who will persuade their little ones to change their behavior. On the other hand, people who intimidate by facial expressions or volume often do so because they are less able to express or defend their position factually and rationally.  

 

3. Be positive about your opponent. Make it clear that the person you are disagreeing with is not the object of your rebuttal. You are not arguing against him, but against his error. Speak to him in respectful tones, using kind and respectful words. Never use demeaning words or phrases. "You must be blind to see it that way," says the same thing as, "I don't believe you're seeing this clearly," yet only the latter preserves the person's dignity. If you slip up here, apologize quickly.  

 

4. Listen carefully before speaking. Genuinely consider the other person's argument. Try hard to understand why he stands where he stands. Without agreeing with falsehood, you can express empathy with your opponent's viewpoint. Work hard to stand in his shoes, and let him know you are doing so. Compassionately say things like, "I can understand how you arrived at that opinion."

 

5. Don't emote excessively. Avoid making your feelings the main subject of the conversation or the primary reason for the other person to change his mind. Your passion by itself may evoke a favorable response initially, but unless the person is convinced by truth and reason, his agreement will likely be short-lived.     

 

6. Say less rather than more. Too many words can be a way of simply wearing the other person down, and excessive verbiage often results in insincere agreement. In other words, the person might "agree" just to get you to be quiet. Also, the more you say, the more likely you are to sin. As the proverb says, "In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but a wise person restrains his lips" (10:19).   

 

7. Agree to disagree until next time. Not every disagreement needs to end in agreement—at least not right away. Know when enough is enough for the time being, and respectfully invite the person to continue the conversation later.

 

Is there a disagreeable person in your life? Would you like to influence that person in positive ways—perhaps toward understanding the gospel and knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord? If you will work hard, not only at possessing the truth but also at sweetening the ways in which you convey it, the increase in your influence could be life-changing.

 

Copyright © 2010 Daryl Wingerd.
Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require written permission.
Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org

 

 

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