Some Good Rules To Live By
"We get bored with being children, rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. We lose our health to make money and then lose our money trying to restore our health. We live as if we will never die... and then die as if we had never lived.
"It takes years to build trust... but only seconds to destroy it. We must control our attitudes, or our attitudes will control us. It only takes a few seconds to open deep wounds in others that will take years to heal. We learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. Forgiving others is often easier than forgiving ourselves.
"Money can buy everything but happiness. A rich person is not one who has the most, but one who needs the least. We can be content with what we are and have, or we can die from envy of what we lack. What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but whom we have in our lives. It's not good to compare ourselves to others; there will be others who are both better and worse.
"We may feel we have the right to be upset, but that doesn't give us the right to upset those around us. If we're not masters of our thoughts, we'll become slaves of our words.
"Two people can look at the same set of facts and draw totally different conclusions. Those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.
"There are those who may love us dearly but simply do not know how to show it. Clinging tightly to loved ones may push them away; holding them loosely may draw them closer. True friends are scarce, and one who has one has a treasure.
"We cannot do anything to cause God to love us; He simply does. The shortest distance to Him is the distance of a prayer."
And to a young friend who is considering full-time ministry, I shared a few other "rules" that have come clearer to me over the past few years:
"The depth and authority of your message will be related to the degree of personal suffering that you have had to patiently endure. Acceptance is the shortcut to peace.
"One word of experience is weightier than a book of theory.
"Effectively serving others will require you to forego many things you would rather do.
"Maintain high personal standards, but don't make those standards a requirement for accepting others.
"There are other things more important than having the last word."
While all generalizations--including this one--risk missing the mark, I hope one of these "rules" will be on target for for you.
Copyright 2000 James McAlister
Comments
Post a Comment