# What do you get when you squeeze a ....



## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

I heard a preacher relating a story about a conference he had attended.

During the conference, the lecturer had asked, "What do you get when you squeeze a lemon?"

Some folks replied, "Lemon juice."

The lecturer laughingly said, "Thank you for your opinion. But that's *not* the right answer."

He went on to say, "The right answer is 'You get whatever it's full of.' You see, someone could have injected the lemon with ink and filled it up with black ink. So when you squeezed the lemon, you would get black ink. You would get whatever it's full of."

And then he asked, "What do you get when you squeeze a *Christian*?"

The room got quiet.

The lecturer said, "The answer is the same. You get whatever the Christian is full of. When the circumstances of life "squeeze" a Christian, what comes out is whatever they're full of. It may be bitterness and resentment. It may be sadness and self-pity. It may be anger and blame. But no matter what the life circumstances are that squeeze us, the Christian will reveal what they are full of."

He said, "The Bible tells us to be filled with the Spirit of God. The Bible also tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) what it looks like when a person is filled with the Spirit of God. 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.' "

The lecturer continued, "So when life's circumstances squeeze a Christian, and that Christian is filled with God and his Spirit, what you'll get is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness and self-control."

And then came the kicker! He said, "The *purpose* in the squeezing is so that others will see God in you and be drawn to him."

Are you being squeezed? What comes out when you're being squeezed? Does it glorify God and draw people to him?

Lord, help us!


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

That is so true, makes one think... Thank you for that Mrs. B.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Thanks Mrs. B


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## Bay Gal (Jun 1, 2004)

That's a good one!

Thanks.


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

*Kind of funny*

OK, I told my 10 year old niece this story after I picked her up from school yesterday. She nodded her head and smiled that she understood, and I gave her examples of "squeezing" etc., and she said that was a good story but why would anyone want to squeeze a Christian!  So, I explained to her again what types of things would be "squeezing", things that pertained more to her and what's going on in her life, and thank God, she got it. I forgot how kids can tune us out so easily!


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Oh, Liz, that IS funny! "Why would anyone want to squeeze a Christian?"

I'm glad she's the inquizative sort, or she might have missed the whole point of the story! LOL

You are SO good! Do you realize that while you were teaching her, you were reinforcing what you had learned? Repetition is a great instructor. You GO, girl.


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