Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday April 12, 2010

My friend of many years, Dr. Don Boys publishes a monthly internet letter titled, "Preacher Helps" which is free for the asking. Over 6,000 people receive the letter and you can ask for it at [email protected]

I warn you the letter is not for the faint of heart or for those who like Kool-Aide.

Don includes a section he calls Little Known Facts of History! I speared this from the April issue:

"With a great deal of flattery, the hedonistic philosopher Aristippus won a very comfortable position at the court of Dionysius who was tyrant of Syracuse in southern Italy. One day Aristippus was visiting with fellow-philosopher Diogenes who was preparing a meager meal of lentils, and Aristippus offered some "helpful" advice: "If you would only learn to compliment Dionysius, you wouldn't have to live on lentils." "And if you would only learn to live on lentils, you wouldn't have to flatter Dionysius," replied his principled friend”

Diogenes was known in the ancient world and by modern searchers for truth as the quintessential searcher for truth and a bothersome teller of truth, without consideration of the person on whom he was telling the truth, hence his diet of lentils only. Many preachers live with the understanding that if they were to lay off certain areas and promote other certain areas, the fiscal part of their life would improve. Many know this from the inner pain they suffer daily as the "pricking" from the Holy Spirit rubs part of their spirit raw. Others, while enjoying piece of mind having turned a deaf ear to siren song of the tyrants in high places partake of the "lentils" of the current age.

This is true not only for preachers of any persuasion, but of just about everyone in whatever walk of life. The challenge to stay true to what you believe and to refuse to act as though you hold to tenets which you do not accept as valid is always there and often forcefully put forth. Shakespeare said it well through Polonius:

"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

God says it like this in Proverbs 23:23:

"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2010 Use with credit

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