Beyond Common Sense

“It takes twenty years to make a sermon, because it takes twenty years to make the man. The true sermon is a thing of life. The sermon grows because the man grows. The sermon is forceful because the man is forceful. The sermon is holy because the man is holy. The sermon is full of the divine unction because the man is full of the divine unction.”

E.M. Bounds (1835-1913) wrote a wonderful book called “The Power of Prayer.”  It never ceases to amaze me that the timely truths found in literary treasures of the past are still as applicable to our lives as if they were written today!  We expect that from the Bible – it is the living Word of God, but a book?

This man was writing to preachers; the book is geared to preachers as you can see by the opening quote; however, could we not change the words to make them fit our lives?

“It takes twenty years to make an example, because it takes twenty years to make the mother. The true example is a thing of life. The example grows because the mother grows. The example is forceful because the mother is forceful. The example is holy because the mother is holy. The example is full of the divine unction because the mother is full of the divine unction.”

The example is growing, forceful, holy, and full of divine unction (the shedding of a divine or spiritual influence upon a person.), because the mother is growing, forceful, holy, and full of divine unction.

This happens because the mother has a vision – she is desperate for growing, forceful, holy, and full of divine unction children; so she changes her life to be a model of her Master’s life.  She chooses her activities, plans her day, spends time with God because she has the vision of godly children before her.

I’m not sure how this happens.  I didn’t get married thinking about what kind of mother I would be.  I do know that early on, my heart was desperate to give my children an example to follow.  My life changed as I sat under the preaching of good men and spent time with my Lord – that really is a given if we have a heart that is tender to God.  I do remember looking up to godly women and longing to be one.  It’s a process ladies!  Keep on keeping on!  Little by little, choice by choice, victory by victory!

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