Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Teenagers get a bum rap. Always have. For some reason, if you're between twelve and twenty, you're suspect. Cops stare and senior citizens glare. Why? Well . . . You drive too fast, you think too slow, you aren't responsible, and you can't be trusted.

Yesterday I told you about Dave Cowens, an NBA star who disappeared one day on a quest for solitude and meaning. I noted that to "find yourself" requires that you take time to look. And it's essential if you want to be a whole person. The word is real.

Dave Cowens, one-time star basketball center for the Boston Celtics, disappeared. Without warning, he walked off the practice court, showered, dressed, and drove away. Alone. He kept driving to . . . somewhere.

A couple of Sundays ago, I was talking with a group of visitors following a morning service. Several were from different sections of our nation. All, of course, spoke English, but a few possessed a distinct dialect that revealed their roots.

A person is a product of his or her own thoughts. Thoughts form the thermostat which regulates what we accomplish in life. My body responds and reacts to the input from my mind. If I feed it with doubt, worry, and discouragement, that is precisely the kind of day I will experience.

Yesterday we read about two great men of the faith, Abraham and the apostle Paul, who set out into the great unknown out of obedience to God. It is no easy thing to leave a sure thing, walk away from an ace in the hole, and start down a long, dark tunnel.

The statement recurs through Scripture like a repeating telegraph signal on a high frequency radio band. Sometimes faint, barely discernible—sometimes strong, clear. Over and over. Paul made the statement as he was saying goodbye to a group of friends.

Before he ever came to the plate, Jephthah had three strikes against him. 1) He was an illegitimate child. Strike one. 2) He was the son of a barmaid and a brute. Strike two. 3) He was raised in an atmosphere of hatred and hostility. Strike three.

I'll never forget the night my dad died. He left like he had lived. Quietly. Graciously. With dignity. Without demands or harsh words or even a frown, he surrendered himself—a tired, frail, humble gentleman—into the waiting arms of his Savior.

"Can you see anything?" What a question to ask! Howard Carter's mouth and eyes were wide open when his aide asked it. His head was stuck into a timeless tomb. Beads of perspiration popped out on the British archaeologist's brow.

A certain fascinating social phenomenon occurred in American history. Understand, I wasn't living back then, but from what I read, this actually happened. It occurred when "Go west, young man!" was the challenge of America.

Question: Judging yourself on this matter of keeping your word, are you bridging or widening the credibility gap? Are you encouraging or discouraging others? Let me help you answer that by using four familiar situations.

March 11, 1942, was a dark, desperate day at Corregidor. The Pacific theater of war was threatening and bleak. One island after another had been buffeted into submission. The enemy was now marching into the Philippines.

Willpower is a forgotten word amidst most Christian circles today. Many of us are soft, flabby, and fat either outwardly or inwardly . . . or both. The overindulgence and underachievement of our age have created a monster whose brain is lazy.

As I mentioned yesterday, on many occasions I recall being taught by my parents about the importance of standing alone, setting my own agenda, not trying to be something I wasn't, and above all, walking humbly with my God.

In my more zany moments, I have been known to do some crazy things. I'm relieved that most of them are not known by most of you. If they were, I sincerely doubt that what little bit of dignified respect I may have earned over the years would remain intact.

He was a hated man. He was therefore maligned, threatened, publicly criticized, and privately rebuked. By his own admission he struggled vigorously with sins of the flesh. Especially outrageous anger.

If you were to do a little fun research to discover the sheer quantity of activities that happen each day in America, you'd be amazed. Consider, for example, the number of cups of coffee consumed, the number of babies born, . . .

Of all the letters Paul wrote, 2 Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In it the great apostle lifts the veil of his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his human frailties and needs. You need to read that letter in one sitting to capture the moving emotion.

September 12, AD 61—Dear Paul: We are considering a man to serve as a manager in the copper plant of our growing company, Corinthian Chariots, Inc. We are an aggressive, innovative firm with plans for expansion into major metropolitan regions.