USE 'EM OR LOSE 'EM

Our Pastor preached a message this morning on a subject I had never heard used before.

I’ll run a few parts of it past you so you can enjoy it also.

I don’t remember if he put a title on it, but he used a phrase several times that aptly describes the main thrust of his message.

“USE IT OR LOSE IT.”

The scripture he read included, but was not confined to, 1Ti 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

He gave a homely illustration to the boys on the front row. He had been facing knee surgery for several weeks because of some injuries in the past. He had prayed earnestly that the Lord would not make him go through that ordeal, but it kept getting worse.

Finally, in desperation, he made another visit to the surgeon’s office, and was thoroughly surprised at the verdict of the doctor. He said, “Sir, you don’t need surgery. It would do you no good. What you REALLY need to do is strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee—especially the ones that hold the knee cap in the proper place. The joint is fine, but the muscles are weak, and let the cap get out of alignment.”

“The answer, he said, is to put weights on your ankles, and as you walk you will put enough extra strain on those muscles that they will grow strong enough to do what they are designed to do.. USE ‘EM, OR LOSE ‘EM””

Pastor then pulled up his pant legs far enough to show those close by what the weights looked like. He was wearing them this morning.

The muscles may get sore, and ache a bit, but THEY WILL ALSO GET STRONGER as they lift the extra weight of the ballasts on his ankles.

He told us that what he is doing is EASY TO DO. But, if it is easy to DO, it would also be easy to neglect. That is what too many of us are already doing, and weakness is setting into our Christian Walk.

WE MUST EXERCISE OURSELVES UNTO GODLINESS if we want to be strong Christians.

We need to spend much time each day in developing a spirit of forgiveness to people whom we suspect of trying to harm us. EXERCISE ourselves that way.

We need to put forth more effort to have a real love for other folks, especially other Christians. EXERCISE ourselves that way also.

HONESTY, UPRIGHTNESS, and INTEGRITY are also ways that we should EXERCISE daily.

TELLING THE LORD HOW MUCH WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE HIM is also a very good EXERCISE to practice while we go about our day-to-day activities.

“USE ‘EM OR LOSE ‘EM”