When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it goes back into the oven.
The character of a person is also checked by thumping. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out!
Do I sing? Or do I thud? Jesus said that “out of the nature of the heart a man speaks” (Luke 6:45). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the true nature of a heart. If you have a tendency to thud more than you sing, take heart. Remember, no thump is disastrous. All things work for good if we are loving and obeying God.