My dad was something else. To know him was to love him. But also, to know him was to learn something. He was one of the best teachers you could ever meet. He knew more about the Bible and its application then anyone I’ve ever known.
The great thing about my dad’s teaching abilities was how he put things in practical terms. He used all sorts of unforgettable sayings that would bring every lesson home. For instance, get him talking about diets and health food, and it wouldn’t be long before you hear him say, “It ain’t whatcha’ eat, but wud eats you.” That’s a classic.
He used another saying often,
“There’s a direct nerve between your heart and your pocketbook.”
I didn’t fully understand the depth of that quip until the first time I did some teaching on tithing. To say the response was cool is an understatement. However, I’ve come to firmly believe that the principle of tithing is one of the most important keys to blessing in our lives.
Dad’s teaching, however, was not limited to folksy little one-liners. Everything my dad taught he lived. Being generous was something he said was important to being a blessed person, and one could see his generosity within a few moment of being with him.
When you’d go out to eat with dad he’d fight you for the check. And then when it came to the tip, forget all those little calculators, he just rounds things up to the nearest ten, or more. You may think that’s extravagant, but dad would tell you, “Put yourself in that waiter’s position. Trying to make a living. I want them to know that there’s a God who not only loves them, but wants to bless them.”
Jesus put it this way,
“For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” (Mt 7:2, NLT)
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