extrapolating

One of my friends in the Bay area always challenged me with this thought... He didn't want me to quote stuff to him but to explain how what I read affected me.

If I were to detail the events of today in a blog window I would say this:

We cannot give what we don't have. If we want to affect people in their life and mind with the power of God's word, then that word must take hold of us. You would expect that a tour guide in Himalayas would be captured by the beauty of the mountains. Before I can cast a compelling vision, I have to be captured by it.
One reason I have been down lately is just the grind of life, coupled with laziness and selfishness.

If I don't have it, I can't give it. I cannot impart what I do not possess.

Reading

I am not sure how to explain all of this but when I feel spiritually flat, reading seems to bring me out of the slump. I feel like when I read I am motivated and inspired. Here's a sample of what I read from John Ortberg:

"In between other people's opinion of us and our pleasure in them is our assessment of the validity of their approval. We are not the passive victim of others' opinions. Their opinions are powerless until we validate them. No one's approval will affect us unless we grant it credibility and status. The same holds true for disapproval."
( The Life you always wanted )


Why do we allow other people to affect us this way ? Why isn't God' s opinion of us enough to satisfy us ?

Judgment

The Bible mentions judgment in at least three places:

Matthew 25:31 2 Cor. 5 and Revelation 20


Are these three separate judgments or all describing the same judgment ?

What do you think ?