Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Most of us had some classes in high school where we sat there and grumbled, "When am I ever going to use this stuff?" In some cases, we really have ended up using what Miss Pringle taught us. In other cases, we were right about never using it. There's one class that I've benefited from almost every day of my life, including today - typing class. Sure, I started out with one of those Selectric typewriters. Younger listeners are asking, "Selectric? What's that?" Never mind. Today, I'm typing on a computer keyboard, but I have a lot of writing to do. It's a good thing that I learned to type those many years ago. In fact, my wife says I'm one of the fastest typists she knows. With the amount of work I have to get done in a day, do I have a choice?
Of course, it isn't just the speed that counts. There's that accuracy thing, too. Going fast doesn't always mean you're getting it right. Every once in a while I'll look up at the screen only to see a string of words that don't exist, "gozornanplatz fufti." I look down. My fingers aren't where they're supposed to be on that keyboard. I learned it my first day in typing class - the home keys. You make sure your typing fingers are on the home keys, then you reach out to all the other keys from there, unless you want to produce something that makes absolutely no sense!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Home Keys That Make Life Make Sense."
The home keys. They're the only starting point on a keyboard from which you can compose things that make sense. Start any other place and you're going to have a mess.
Life has some home keys; a starting point from which we should run our life. Unfortunately, too many of us stand back and look at where our life is going, and what's showing up on the screen just isn't making much sense. Things aren't working the way they're supposed to. Too many things we had hoped would fulfill us have left us empty. Too many relationships we thought would be what we needed have left us disappointed. And so many pursuits we thought would give our life some meaning have turned out to be so hollow.
Life doesn't work until you land on the home keys. And thankfully, the God who put us here has made clear just where home base is. It's spelled out in Matthew 6:33, our word for today from the Word of God. He says: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need" (NLT). There's home base. Putting what God wants first, which we haven't. We put what we want first. Maybe that's why the middle letter of sin is "I." And we're created it says, to "live righteously." Too often, we don't. Instead we do the selfish thing, the angry thing, the dirty thing, the hurting thing. We've tried to run our life from the wrong starting point. It's called "my way."
But God didn't leave us there, even though He had every right to. Instead, He sent the most precious thing He has, His Son, to help us find home. Here's how God poured out His love for you. The Bible says: "Christ suffered for our sins...to bring you safely home to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Home is where God is, and only Jesus can bring you there, because it took more than a religion to span that Grand Canyon between us and God. It took the cross; it took the life of the only Son God has.
Your restlessness, your loneliness, your dissatisfaction with life, they're all pointing you to find the only starting point that makes life make sense - in a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ. Look, if that's what you want, you need to tell Him that, "Jesus, I'm done running life my way. I know that doesn't work. I'm Yours, Jesus!" That is how you'll find home. Now, we would love to help you get there if you'll just take a couple of minutes to check out our website. It's really all about helping you get started with Jesus Christ. It's helped others, maybe it will be the encouragement you need today. Just go to yoursforlife.net. Or if you'd rather, I'd be glad to send you that information in printed form, in my little booklet which is called "Yours For Life." Here's the toll free number you can call, just ask for it. It's 877-741-1200.
You've tried it with your heart away from the only One who can make it all make sense. You could find home base today and then start building a life that really works.