Saturday, March 29, 2008

Gaining Respect

Musicians Hands Playing Saxaphone, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA by Adam Jones
Musicians Hands Playing Saxaphone, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA




When a professional musician nicknamed "Happy" became a Christian, he quit playing in nightclubs and offered his services to a rescue mission.

Some time later, he received a phone call from a club manager who wanted to hire him to do a show that would have brought in a lot of money. But Happy turned down the offer, telling the manager that he would be playing at the mission. Happy said, "He congratulated me. That surprised me. Here was a man who wanted me to play for him and he was congratulating me for refusing his offer." The manager respected Happy's decision.



Daniel was a captive in a foreign land, but he did not forget his religious principles. He could not in good conscience eat meat that had been dedicated to a pagan god and had not been slaughtered in accordance with Hebrew laws.
He asked for a simple fare of vegetables and water, and the steward risked his life to honor his request.

I believe he did this because Daniel's noble conduct had earned his respect.


But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:8)




The world looks with disdain on Christians who do not live what they say they believe.
That's why we should remain true to our convictions.
Consistency of character is what gains the respect of others.
Herb Vander Lugt

You'll gain respect when people see that you are faithful to God's Word;
There may be some who disagree, But they will know you love the Lord. -- D. De Hann

If you're living for Christ you may lose some friends, but you won't lose their respect.


Be Encouraged, Mimi

20 comments:

nannykim said...

Nice story--mixing the modern one with the old one ;-). Have a nice weekend

j said...

Mimi, I had to sacn today cause I am WAY short on time. I'll be back to read later, OK?

Funny that you posted a pic of the Sax today. That is what my Daughter plays. Thanks for the birthday wishes to her!

I'll be back soon I hope!

Jennifer

Cathy said...

Nice and true post, Mimi ~ Have a blessed weekend.

Pam said...

Mom, a life lesson you've taught me since toddlerhood - thanks for the refresher! Love, Pam

Unknown said...

This is so true. Everyone who knew my father in law knew his deep love of the Lord(he told you within minutes of meeting him). Years after he died a woman told me she didn't agree with his beliefs but she respected him because she could see the depth of his faith. So it showed me then that people are watching Christians more closely then we think. Have a good weekend.

j said...

Mimi, I love the pic of the sax! Thank you for stoping by my mom's blog and wishing me a happy birthday!

Emily

Tracy said...

Another wonderful post.

Rose of Sharon said...

What a great post Mimi! Have a lovely Sunday!

:0) Sharon

Unknown said...

What a wonderful way to remind us all of the great impact we have on those around us.... Have a wnderful Lords day...

Anonymous said...

Great post. I loved the quotes, so many times I let my Lord down. This inspires me to obey and love my Lord more.

Thank you.

p.s. Mimi, did you get my email?

Karen H. said...

Good Afternoon Mimi,
That is such a wonderful post and I love how you entertwined the real man with Daniel. Sometimes we as Christians tend to be afraid of what other people will think of us when we stand up for our Christianity. But we must all stand ground on what we believe. The Sun hasn't been shining here today and probably won't till Tuesday. It has been raining off and on all day here. Heavy rains are in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow as well. Take care my friend and have a great day. May God Bless You and Yours.

Love & Hugs,
Karen H.

Denise said...

Amen....... how true...... Great post....... I love how you take a today story and then the story about Daniel... That was great....... Thanks for the lesson...

Anonymous said...

Oh Mimi, what a great story!!! I absolutely loved it!!!

Kate

Mike Golch said...

Thank you for showing that true believers will follow their heart.
It is a good reminder of what is important in life.
Blessing to you and all of your family.

Mary said...

Mimi,

A wonderful message. Thanks for reminding us that loyalty to the Lord is rewarded.

Blessings,
Mary

Melissa said...

I like the story of Happy it is nice to hear modern equivalents - because sometimes we get so caught up in today's life that we forget that what happened in the Bible isn't limited in time or place.

~~Deby said...

Amen...and if you *lose* some friends, maybe they weren't friends and I will tell you according to the WORD of God they indeed will be the losers, which is sad.
I love the way that you did this story.
Deby

Dawn said...

Beautiful - I love the stories you share, and the pictures you find to go with them.

This reminds me of the time my dad had to leave the ministry for two yeras because of his health. He sold for Sears for two years and made a lot more money than pastoring. The president of Sears offered him a really good promotion and he said, "I cannot stoop to do this job, because I work for the King of Kings."

Rose of Sharon said...

Hope you had a great day today!

:0) Sharon

Sharon said...

This was a very good post Mimi!
When my daughter went from our safe home of homeschooling to a technical college, she had culture shock, but remained strong in her faith and even though she was tested by her classmates, in the end she was respected for her integrity.