Not Impressed

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

On September 26, 1960, the first televised presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy aired. Each candidate put his best foot forward in attempt to impress the electorate. Today, many historians agree that Kennedy’s charisma in that debate won him the election.

Earlier that same day, Cuban strongman Fidel Castro attempted to impress the whole word with his rhetoric. Fresh from his rise to power through revolution, he proudly address the United Nations. For almost four-and-a-half hours, Castro contemptibly droned on about how awful the West was.

It would be interesting to discover how much time we spend attempting to impress others, for good or bad. For persuasive speech, though, Chuck Swindoll suggests “Make it clear; make it simple; emphasize the essentials. Forget about impressing!”

The lesson is that we should stop attempting to dazzle God with our pompous prayers and supercilious service. He said, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

God is the only one to whom we should cater, and He is looking for holiness, fidelity, obedience, and love - not anything that we find “impressive.” God is only impressed with Jesus. Why not let Him do the impressing though you?