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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 24, 2009
“Every Time I Dry Off”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“Every time I dry off I think of something you said.”
“What? What did I say?”
“When we were little. One day I was drying off and you told me I was doing it wrong. You grabbed me and showed me the ‘right’ way to dry off. And now I think of that every time I do it.”
That was a conversation between my daughters the other day, about a moment that took place many years ago.
But what a story! It’s a great example of how powerful our words can be when injected in a specific moment.
A while back I was working out at my house when some middle school boys were there. I was doing some sit-ups when one of them blurted out, “You’re doing it wrong.”
Now come on. With abs like these, I’m pretty sure I know how to do a sit-up. And he didn’t look like he had ever even brushed up against a good sit-up.
And yet – now don’t miss this – every time I do sit-ups I think of what he said. It happens when I get down in the sit-up position – the same position I was in when he said that. I get down to do sit-ups, and blurp, it runs through my head.
Now I’m a communicator. I’ve been in communications all my adult life. And we communicators, we want to say things that just pop into your head for the rest of your life. What an impact!
But you know what? We can stand in front of you and babble on and on and on and have nothing get through.
But then some kid can throw out a little comment, and it sticks with you forever.
What’s the difference?
It’s the power of the moment.
Think about it in your own life. I’ll bet there are certain situations that, just being in them, makes you think of something someone said.
Okay, so we know it happens. We know it works this way. So what we need to do is take advantage of it.
Sometimes we think we need a big audience to do any good. But you know what? You might stand in front of thousands and talk for an hour, and six months later no one remembers a thing you said.
But in a specific situation you can say something to one person and they will remember it for the rest of their life.
So what we can do is look for those opportunities. There are thousands of little chances to say just the right thing that will stick with someone forever.
I call this thing I do “Apples of Gold.” It’s from Proverbs 25:11 which says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
And I love that phrase, “a word fitly spoken.”
To me it means that what is said is a perfect fit for the moment.
And notice this. It says “a word fitly spoken,” not “a word spoken in a fit.”
It is measured and controlled. It is wise. It is timely.
See, we can toss out wise sayings all day, but they don’t really hit home until they fit the moment.
But when we say something that perfectly fits the situation, then we have a bell ringer. That’s a home run. That’s when it sticks with them forever.
Now too often it is something negative. It’s a word spoken in a fit. In an emotional moment we blurt out something, and it sticks.
Well Ephesians 4:29 has the remedy for that. It says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
See, when these moments occur – and you can’t really plan for them. They are real life moments that just pop up. And when they do, we need to be ready to “impart grace.”
Don’t you love that phrase? “Impart grace.”
It says, “…what is good for necessary edification.” That means it builds them up. It strengthens them.
The right words at the right time can build someone up, and keep building them up for the rest of their life.
It’s a word fitly spoken, at just the right time, in real life.
What a powerful impact we can have!
So watch for those moments. Be ready.
And when they come up, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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1 comment:
I visit your blog often...I love your writing! Thank you.
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