Devotionals
I recently watched a movie called Cast Away (I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it, so feel free to fast forward a couple paragraphs.). Tom Hanks plays a Fed Ex executive who is marooned on a desert island. He cuts his hand and, in anger, slaps a volleyball, leaving a bloody hand print. He paints the print into a face, and the ball becomes his faithful companion Wilson.
At one point, Wilson gets washed out to sea. In a most poignant scene, Hanks attempts to swim out to rescue Wilson, who is carried just out of reach by the incessant tide. Hanks collapses in despair, sobbing “Wilson! I’m sorry!” over and over.
There is a lovely song from the musical Wicked named For Good. It’s the parting song of two friends who have left hand prints on each other’s hearts. It’s a beautiful expression of the influence we have on people’s lives. Tom Hanks’s handprint took an ordinary volleyball and made it Wilson, his best friend. Hanks helped make Wilson what he was.
We all influence somebody, no matter how reticent we may be. The more we invest in a person, the more we leave an indelible hand print on his or her heart. Romans 14:7 reminds us that “None of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.” We all touch someone.
What kind of influence should we have on those we meet as we journey through life? What kinds of influences do we allow into our lives? The answers to these questions will determine not only our own character, but may also help develop personality traits in those we influence.
The Bible warns us about our associations. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole bushel.” A bad apple (or banana or persimmon or quince) emits a chemical that promotes spoilage in other fruits and vegetables. An evil person’s heart exudes attitudes that affect his conscience, words, and actions: “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark7:20–22, NKJV). How should one deal with an evil person? “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge” (Proverbs 14:7, NKJV). Unless we think we can influence an evil person for good, we should limit our associations with him, if possible.
It is, by contrast, to our benefit to hang with people who can bring out the best in us and help us develop desirable character traits. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Because of our sinful tendencies, we easily take the path of least resistance, which is to give in to our baser instincts. We need to surround ourselves with people who have enough strength of character to lift us up.
There is something special about hands. “Black Hand” societies aside, the hand holds a position of importance and intimacy. Lovers hold hands. You’ve got to “hand it to” someone when you respect what he’s done. Many a parent’s refrigerator door is decorated with painted handprints from kindergarten. The word “handsome” comes from “easy to handle.” Hand prints, like fingerprints and voice prints, are unique; they are identifying marks. A hand print on a heart identifies a person who has reached into the most tender and protected area and left a permanent mark.
Wilson the volleyball was transformed from a product of an anonymous assembly line into a unique personality by the shedding of Tom Hanks’s blood. It can take a lot out of a person to influence another for good. Sometimes we have to shed blood, sweat, tears, and inhibitions to reach into that tender, protected area and leave a print on a heart. The effort can drain a person like a blood transfusion. People cannot deeply influence others without changing themselves. It takes sincere, courageous love.
God is the Master Influencer. He sent His Son to shed his blood on the cross to change our lives for the better. He sends His Spirit into our heart to “convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Once a sinner accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, “he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
What are your hand prints like? Whose heart are you touching? Are you allowing Jesus’ bloody hand print to touch your heart and make you his friend? Or is the tide of your life carrying you just outside of his reach?
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I like this, and agree. Well done. (I like the movie too.)
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