The Exacto Knife That Stopped The Preaching

Saturday, October 23, 2021

One of the first times I preached, I was helping out in a congregation, and they had a guest speaker. The leader introduced him and gave him a big hug. The guest stood there frozen. Then he said, "Excuse me," and just left. It turned out the guest had an exacto knife in his suit pocket, and when the leader hugged him, it pushed into his chest. They turned to me and said, "Can you preach?" And I did. The speaker was hurt by a hug and his own knife, and he never again accepted an invitation to speak at that congregation. The church is filled with people who are hurt, but it's not simply about what others do to you. Many times we keep a knife of hurt in our own pocket or heart. Sometimes people intentionally hurt you, but many times they don't. What matters is how you respond, whether you're hindered from your calling, or you have forgiveness and joy. Get rid of offenses, and you'll be blessed because even a hug can become a hazard when you carry around a knife near your heart.

From Message #526 - A Holy Commotion