Don't advise, if your advice is unwelcome. Love from a distance in silence, and say a prayer. And if the people you are concerned about will allow God to move in them, they will be delivered from the trouble you so dread.
"God is our Creator. So he can be angry with us and even destroy us if he wants." This is theoretically sound. However, it hardly speaks well of God, and does not make him worthy of worship. I worship God because he is unbelievably kind and merciful and loving and willing to give offenders a zillion chances for repentance. I also detect a basic flaw in me and in other humans, which cannot be easily remedied. It takes a dying to the old self to produce the new self. And a new self is what God desires for us. He alone can take us through this process of dying and being born again, when we submit to him in loving faith. All in all, love is the finest aspect of God, and this is what tugs at our heartstrings. He needs our love above everything else. And where love is, obedience will follow.
We can read the Bible and sit in churches all our lives. But we may never do what we are ultimately expected to do. We should care about others as we would care about ourselves. We must be willing to forgive at all times without giving in to bitterness and rage. We must learn to be silent in the face of all opposition, and put our trust in God, who alone can fight our unending battles. These things one may not learn from the Bible or the church. One may learn this only from real life experiences that one lives through in communion with God.
The key to our living a life that is pleasing to God does not lie in our understanding the Bible or our acceptance of its doctrines. It lies in our recognition of God's heart which loves and forgives. It lies in our knowing and receiving this love and forgiveness. It lies in our reflecting this love and forgiveness in our own conduct toward others. No reading of the Bible or attending a church can ensure this happening. It comes from a personal determination to be like God when we see God as he really is.
Loving everyone is impossible for the human being. But it is possible with God. And if we are with God, and in God, we can do what God does.
We do know God physically or mentally in the complete sense. All that we have are fragments of knowledge derived from many men, and put together by others who hardly knew them, and these understandings are by no means in agreement in every respect. The God of love does not emerge properly in the Old Testament. What we see more often is a vengeful, jealous lover, who is hardly a model of love. God as a lover emerges in the New Testament, and even there his entire prowess as a lover is merely hinted at. The overtones of divine threat are still heard, as the message of love is spoken. God can be known only imperfectly by reading the Bible. We can know him only in part. And that kind of knowledge cannot inspire confidence in someone who is searching for a many-layered God.
The status of love without God is less serious than the status of God without love. In the latter case, humanity is surely close to doom.
Statistics by themselves don't mean much to me. It is the value of connection and the depth of influence that keep me moving.
Thankfulness is the essence of good living. Thankfulness is also the heart of worship. We cannot live well without feeling gratitude for what we have. We cannot give thanks to anyone but God for all that we have received in this life. And we have received much from God. Let us count our blessings, even those that do not seem like blessings today. And let us not fail to thank God for each and every one of these today and every day.
Today, I am thankful for being an instrument in God's hands. I am grateful for being a voice for God, conveying his merciful love to those who feel alone, confused and miserable in this world. I am happy that I am alive, and able to acknowledge the greatness of God in my life. I am thankful for the people in my life, who support and encourage what I do for God. And I am glad that God has allowed me a place in the hearts of so many of his people. I celebrate these precious blessings today.
Don't be frustrated when you make mistakes. If you have God on your side, your mistakes will lead you to the path that he intends you to take. He will guide you every step of the way, and when you fall, you will be able to rise again in his strength. So walk on, without fear, and without losing your hope. For God will not let you fail eventually.
I have failed hundreds of times. I still go on. It is not failure that stops you. It is an absence of a mad desire to succeed that stops you.
Everything that God made is beautiful. This is the realization that leads to joy. When you don't believe that everything that God made is beautiful, you are on the road to misery.
Keep asking, even if you are not getting what you are asking for. Or simply wait, and expect God to do his best for you. Either way, don't lose hope in God. For with him alone, you will find the best in you.
Sabbath is Saturday (actually begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening). That is how
Jesus knew it. Sunday is the day of worship in the Christian tradition. Some may view it as the Sabbath, as they associate it with a day of rest. But there is no such requirement, as far as Sunday is concerned.
I am no stranger to struggle. But it is good to remember that no matter how hard we try, and how patient we may be, it is not by might nor by power but by his spirit. So my prescription for all strugglers is this: try less, believe more. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.
Don't try out Jesus Christ, as someone tries out a dish. He is not just a god for your crisis. Don't turn to Jesus when you are in trouble, and then turn away from to another god him when you get out of trouble. God is not to be trifled with. Jesus Christ may tolerate this kind of fickleness for a while, but eventually he will not tolerate it.
Some wonder what my religion is. I have not made a secret of my servitude to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am his servant, his voice speaking to his people. He is love. And so I am love as well.
We are told by Jesus to forgive. He taught us to forgive, even as his killers mocked at him, while he was on the cross. Jesus Christ expects us to forgive, even if the one we forgive is without repentance. We need to forgive the offender, even if the offender fails to appreciate our forgiveness.
We can learn from mistakes, as long as we recognize them as mistakes. But even if we learn from them, our knowledge may not translate into desirable action. We can still repeat the same mistake, as long as we are slaves to a certain unhelpful instinct.
We are all dependant on one another. This is the only way we can survive. True independence is impossible. The more we depend on one another the better we will live. Still political independence is another thing. It is important that people live with a national identity, without being subjugated by another nation. Such independence should be priced highly and utilised well.
There is no replacement for you. God has made you like none other. So find out what it is and use it to shine your light in this world. You were made to shine. So find out what will spark your fire.
Health is to seek light, when darkness is more desirable.
To know the distinction between the worthy and the worthless, and to choose to do what is worthy is living well.
When you truly trust God, even a horror is liveable.
To know you have lost is not as important as to know what you have gained while you lost.
Some fights are worth losing. So choose to fight even what you will lose.
Innocence is ignorance. Knowledge is corruption. Wisdom is corruption on medication.
You fix your eyes on tomorrow and gulp the bitterness of today. This is faith.
Can you love a god who is continually awful to you? This is a stern test of faith.
Being at peace with who you are is the beginning of happiness.
To go on when everything is going for you is a task for beginners. To go on when nothing is going for you is a task for masters.
Working with a lot, that's a task for amateurs. Working with little, that's a task for masters.
To love God, you should love people, particularly the worst of them.
If you want to love and not let yourself be bothered by people who don't love you, you have experienced God.
Can you love the one who has thrust a dagger into your heart? If you can, you have the love of God.
Can you accept trouble joyfully? If you can, you have walked with God.
Even a good thing is limited. Know your limits, and the good will remain good.
We talk about the exploitation of workers. We should also talk about how some employees take advantage of their employers. Some employees shirk their responsibilities and deliberately underperform, and collect their salaries in full. This can be best seen in workplaces that assure job security and pension. When an employee is more or less sure that he cannot be dismissed from his job, he is tempted to underperform, for there is no punishment for poor performance. When an employee behaves like this, he is not responding desirably to the generosity of the employer, and when employees generally behave like this in a workplace, that organisation cannot develop and make progress.
Finally,
don't justify your poor performance, by saying, "What can I do?" You
can do a lot, if you put your mind to it. Resolve firmly that you will
work according to your employer's expectations. Love yourself well to
see yourself as a responsible, competent worker, who will always give
your best to the job. The way you see yourself determines how you
perform in life. Be a giver, and give more than
what is expected. Delight your employer by doing more than what is
required. Then, he too will be happy to have you in his employment. He
will gladly give you your salary, and may even increase it, to reward
your sincerity. There will be many more rewards. But the greatest reward
will be a clear conscience. You will rest, and enjoy life, knowing that
you have done your best.
Be
a good worker, with the desire to serve your employer well. Always
endeavour to perform to the satisfaction of your employer. Don't bend
the rules and try to work on your own terms. Don't justify your wrongs,
by saying that you have done your job, when you have not fulfilled your
obligations. Don't go late to work, and leave early. You will only rush
through your work, and will not be able to do
justice to it. You may work like this for a while, making excuses for
your reduced performance. But if you let it become the norm, then you
will be rebelling against your employer, by violating the agreement that
you have with him. If you do that, you will not be fair to him. Your
conduct will be more in line with an enemy than with a friend.
Unfairness
does not last. You cannot live your entire life, shirking your
responsibilities, and being unfair to your employer, who treats you
well. When you treat such a person in that offhand manner, there will be
consequences. There is a law of fairness in this world. The fair are
eventually rewarded, though they may go through many difficulties in
life. The unfair finally meet with disgrace, though
they may have progressed in life much through underhand practices.
Beware of this, and act responsibly. Don't think that no one is
watching, and that you are free to do whatever you want. Don't think you
can take advantage of a generous employer forever. There is an end to
deception and unfairness. Life has a way of making the crooked straight.
And life will straighten you out, if you will not change on your own.
Don't take advantage of your employer's kindness. He
may be a generous man, willing to overlook your faults. This should not
encourage you to take liberties with him, but it should spur you on to a
more responsible approach to work. Don't return his kindness with your
unkindness. Don't make excuses for your poor working style. You should
respect yourself enough to be a person worthy of your employer's
kindness. Otherwise, you will be placing yourself in a very unfavourable
situation.
Treat the job you have with respect. Not everyone has a
job. There are some people who would like to have your job. Perform
your duties well, not taking anything lightly. You have agreed to work
for a payment. Don't forget that. Do your part, and the employer will do
his part. But if you were to work poorly, and your employer still paid
you in full, you would have done him a disservice. You would have not
been fair to him.
This is how you make history. There is a God who put you here on earth
for a little while, so that you may serve a certain purpose. While you
enjoy your time on earth, discover your purpose, and work it out to the
best of your ability. Your ability will come from God, for he will never
call you without enabling you to do what he has called you to do. So,
remain connected with God. Learn to hear his voice, and follow it. It
won't be easy, and it may take long. But God will be with you, and
enable you to succeed. So make your history when the light of God still
is shining on you.
Don't be sad that you did not make history in this world, as you wanted
to. There is a greater history to be made in a greater world. There is a
greater reward awaiting you from a greater person. Aim for what is
greater. And what you've done here, no matter how flawed and failed it
may appear to be to mortal eyes, its silent glory is beheld by immortal
eyes.
Don't yearn to be a history maker. But be willing to be made by God to
do what he wants you to do. Go where he leads you and do what he tells
you to do. Leave the results with him. Serve people humbly and
gratefully, for service to humanity is service to God. Don't be sad when
there is no response from people. Don't be proud when people respond
appreciatively. Powered by God, keep going on, showing gratitude for
every moment of time you spend in this world.
What appears bad may actually be good. What appears
dangerous may actually be safe. The villainous face may go along with a
heroic heart. The belligerent speaker may have a kind heart. The rude
person may actually do thoughtful acts. The arrogant face may belong to a
generous heart. So let us watch out, and not be misled by the exterior.
Always take what the experts say with a pinch of salt.
They could be wrong, as they were today, as they were yesterday, as they
will be always.
I don't think God has anything to do with the election of leaders. Some
of the leaders the world has elected clearly demonstrate this truth.
Because God has given us the freewill to choose either good or bad, he
lets us choose our leaders, and these may be either good or bad. And we
always pay for the choices we make.
Be patient with offenders. Bear with their insensitive behaviour for a
while. Show them by example what good behaviour is. But if they fail to
learn, don't hesitate to show them the door, and when you shut that
door, don’t open it again for them.
Observe well. But respond little. People might think you are not taking
notice. The offender might think you don't care. But when the time
comes, when enough is enough, act decisively. Separate yourself from the
repeat offender, who is undeserving of your patience. There is no need
to walk on with a disturber of peace.
Never respond to fools. And there are many in the world. You have a job
to do. So do it without paying attention to what fools have to say about
you. There are wise people in the world also. Pay attention to them,
even if they say something that you don't like. But the wise are usually
sensitive in the way they present their observations. Criticism from a
fool is usually with little or no tact. Such criticism may be considered
for the kernel of truth they might present, but the fool who spoke it
may be safely disregarded.
People
may wrong you and fall short of expectations. You may be terribly hurt
by the pain they have inflicted on you. But you should love yourself
enough to move away from that place of pain. When someone has wronged
you, the first thing you should do is to forgive this person, and then
you should move on with your life. Your life has many layers and is very
complex. One incident should not determine
your mental health either temporarily or permanently. People will
regularly fall short of expectations. So it is wise not to pin your
hopes on them. People may also be pleasantly surprising at times. When
such surprises come, accept them with gratitude. But when
disappointments come, accept them with forgiveness.
Moderation is best. Extreme positions are best avoided. In reality,
extreme ideas are more attractive than moderate ones. But do not be
fooled by what attracts you. Safety lies in the middle, no matter how
boring it might be.
Trust in the love of God. Believe that his love is Jesus Christ. Believe
that Jesus saved you from eternal separation from God, which is also
called hell. Believe that you will spend eternity with God. And believe
also this. You don't have to do anything to earn your place in heaven.
All that needed to be done by you was already done for you by Jesus
Christ. Now you should only believe in this. Believe that you are a
child of God who is under his protection. No one can pluck you out of
his hand. Even the sin that you fear the most cannot separate you from
God. Just drink deep from his cup of love, and your most scarlet sins
will be made white, in his time.
Those
who don't trust in the love of God may trust in the hatred of God.
Those who haven't tasted the love of God may remember the wrath of God.
As children, we grow up, fearing our parents, at least to a certain
degree. But when we grow up, we discard that fear, and relate to our
parents as friends in whom we could confide, without the fear of
condemnation. This is how it is with God. When we mature
in faith, we truly become God's friends. And when we become his
friends, we will stop fearing his wrath. No one will fear being
destroyed by his friend, no matter how powerful he might be. And God is
more faithful than any human friend. The last thing that God will do is
to destroy his friend, who trusts in him.
If
we won't trust in the power of God's love, then we will trust more in
God’s hatred. God is justice, but his justice was satisfied completely
by the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. There is nothing more that God
requires from Jesus or from us. So, let us stop thinking that there is
something that we must do to satisfy God. It is true that we should
please God with our conduct. For that is what all
God’s children should attempt to do. And we are all God’s children. But
our act of pleasing God is our natural response to his love. Our
desirable conduct is a work of his love. Children won't be inspired to
please their parents, if their parents don't show them love. We too
won't be inspired to please God, if God doesn't show us love. But this
is the truth: God loves us, and he clearly demonstrated his love for us
through his Son Jesus Christ. And he spoke clearly through his servant,
Saint Paul, when he responded to the jailer's question about salvation,
that belief in Jesus Christ is all that is required for salvation.
Certain branches of Christianity have distorted this message of God, and
have made salvation a target that human beings need to strive for
through desirable behaviour. This has driven fear into the human heart,
and has made it impossible for many to see the love of God, as it really
is.
Ultimately, we all have to trust in God's love, which conquers
everything sinful in us. God's love is not like human love, which is
often inconstant and based on performance. God loves because his very
nature is love. And his love conquers everything. No human sin is
greater than his love. God wants all of us to know and receive his love.
And when we taste his love, it will transform us and renew us into the
image of his Son, Jesus Christ. So, what we need to do is to believe in
God's love. And we should desire to taste it. And God will surely grant
our desire.
Many
times I have thrown out the garbage in my life. Many times I have
physically flung the undesirable out of my life. And many times they
came back to me, and settled comfortably once more in my heart. So, this
is my conclusion. There are some things that simply cannot be flung
out. God alone decides when it is time to uproot something. Much as I
want to be super-spiritual today, God alone determines
the rate of my growth. He alone knows why I have to deal with
something, which I do not want to deal with. He alone knows what this
terrible struggle will bring out in me. I need to trust in his superior
wisdom and his flawless fatherhood. Above all, I need to trust in his
love, which never fails.
Only
love transforms. Only love, which is not based on performance, and
expects nothing in return, transforms the heart. This love comes only
from God, and not all human beings know it. Very often God is portrayed
like a human being, expressing love only if he is pleased and showing
hatred, when he is displeased. But if God is like a human in this
respect, this world would not have survived so long.
God's love is so great and so paternal, that he is unwilling to let us
go. He wants all of us, and he takes no pleasure in losing any of his
children. And we are all his children, no matter what we think, do or
say, or even believe. This is the kind of love that transforms even the
belligerently rebellious heart.
God's love is not based on your performance. He loves you no matter what
you do. He will love you today, even if you sin. Know his love, receive
it, and be transformed by it. His love will bring you to the point of
perfect harmony with him.
Women should stand up for themselves. Men should also stand up for
women. As long as women ignore their own right to being respected, and
allow men to disparage and belittle them, they cannot put an end to
misogynistic tendencies displayed publicly by men. And if women allow
such men to take on administrative roles, they will only make their
problem worse. Women should stick together and fight together this
ugliness, which appears to be attractive to some. As long as the
repulsive is seen as attractive, there is little hope for its
eradication.
From
the overflow of the heart a person speaks. No man who disparages women
openly should be able to convince others that he has great respect for
women. If he succeeds in doing that, it reveals an unfortunate truth: a
man's words in one context are deemed less credible than his words in
another context. If some people in the world are willing to believe
that a man does respect women when it has been
revealed that he has belittled them often, then they are either
exercising tremendous faith in that man's reformed character, or are
completely overlooking his tendency to abuse women. If the latter is
the case, then a proper defence of a woman’s right to be treated with
dignity cannot take place, as long as perpetrators of abuse against
women are not only ignored but also encouraged to hold positions of
power in this world.
Let the men of this world honour women. Women are the mothers of this
world. Every woman is a potential mother, a care-giver like none other. A
man who fails to respect a woman is no man at all. Such a man should
not be considered to be able to do anything significant in this world.
Such a man should not be allowed to occupy a position of power in this
world.
God has already touched your life, if you feel the need for God in your
life. Blessed are they who need God. And when God places a need for him
in you, he will also show you how to fulfil that need. You need to trust
God and wait for him to guide you to that place of unity with him. You
may need to share in his sufferings to know him better. To be truly
united with him, you should ultimately nail your old self to the cross.
It is in extreme pain and total abandonment that you will be closest to
God.
