For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10
I was so close…but it was no bananas. There is an old saying that says, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” With horseshoes, get it close to the stake and you get something and with a hand grenade, well, you know how that works. I found out recently that close can be a million miles away. It goes like this.
So, my day job is being a pastor and teacher. I love it…well, at least most of it. Anyway, I really do love to preach, teach and write. I love to find creative ways to say something with the hope that will help people understand and remember. When I preach and teach on Sunday mornings, my sermons usually consist of three major components. First, Scripture—and lots of it. Far more important than what I say or what someone else says is what God said. Period. Second, I like to use the words of people smarter than me so I will usually include some quotes. Finally, I write what I call “teaching points” to expound or make the truth big and clear. It was the second one in that series of three that recently showed that you can be close and yet a million miles away.
A couple of weeks ago, I read a powerful quote that went like this, “Christians filled with the Spirit are dangerous to hell. If you’re not dangerous to hell, then you’re dangerous to the Church.” While you may not like that quote, because like a hand grenade it hits a little too close to home, it is still powerful. It was spoken by a teacher named Rob Reiner—or so I thought. It turns out that I was one letter off on who said this. You see, the guy who said it was named Rob Reimer…a Bible teacher. The guy I unintentionally credited was Rob Reiner who is a long way from being a Bible teacher. In fact, he is a comedian and played a role in the old sitcom, “All in the Family.” In the show he was called, “Meathead.”
Now I don’t know if my source made the mistake or if I mistyped but there is one thing I know—one letter made all the difference in the world and the two men couldn’t have been more different. In this case, one small letter changed everything. What is even crazier is that I had no idea who Rob Reiner was until someone pointed the mistake out…and I am so glad that he did.
As you do life, let’s remember that small things do in fact matter. Whether it is when we read the word or when we say what someone said, let’s be sure we get it right. People often say how the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil but that isn’t what it says at all. Money is neutral…money is a tool. What the Bible says is, “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil” and that is a horse of a different color. Yup…details matter. One letter can change everything. Not a detail person? No, problem. I know someone who is…my Dearest Daddy in heaven. He is all about details and He is always willing to help. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 