Yesterday’s cell was a discussion about convictions. We discussed how important a conviction, when acted upon, can change our life for good. We listed and commented on a few of them on these criteria - reflect (meaning) and relate (personalizing). Here are some of them that we had discussed.
TO KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH IS TO BE RICH (Lao-Tzu). I think richness is not defined by what we possess or what we have accomplished. It is no doubt important but it is not richness. Richness is the ability to enjoy what we have – even if what we have is the bare necessities of life. Proverbs 17:1 says this, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife”. I think the unhappiest person in this world is he or she who is bitterly envious of others. A person like that will never have peace because nothing is enough for him or her. Jesus said these words in Luke 12:5, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possession.” Greed robs us of the joy of living because it distracts us from enjoying what is truly important in our life. So, we need to redefine richness or wealth. If we see it as material possessions, then the striving will be endless because the world of branded goods and glittering fame is a bottomless pit. But if we see it in the relationships to be nurtured, then the investment would be worthwhile because the rewards for consistent efforts are a bountiful harvest in the end.
THE WORDS OF THE TONGUE SHOULD HAVE THREE GATEKEEPERS: IS IT TRUE? IS IT KIND? IS IT NECESSARY? (Arabian proverb) Standing sentry to keep our tongue from tripping over our clumsy foot are these three tower guards. James 1:19 tells us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”. But many of us operate in the oral realm in reverse: we are usually slow to listen, quick to speak and fast to become angry. This is the irony of human communication. We always want our conversation to be delectable. But our tongue always gets in the way and we become despicable. So let’s allow these three gatekeepers do their job in all our conversation, whether heated or otherwise.
I guess the job of these gatekeepers is made difficult by these three loathsome gatecrashers: Is it controversial? Is it juicy? Is it self-serving? If they are, then the temptation is almost irresistible for us to blab it out like the South African vuvuzela! But we all know the dreaded outcome: relationships would turn sour, hatred would boil over, and regrets would dry the heart. So, in the long run, if you want to be a peacemaker for God, try replacing all the bunched up words in your mouth at that heated moment with these three friends of the gatekeepers: a smile, a nod and a reassuring wink.
WHEN YOU SEE A GOOD MAN, THINK OF EMULATING HIM; WHEN YOU SEE A BAD MAN, EXAMINE YOUR HEART (Chinese proverb). The Bible says that our heart is above all deceitful. There is therefore no one who is righteous before God. Whilst it is easy to throw stone at a sinner, it is hard to turn it around and throw it back at ourselves. Because we do not see clearly our errors, prejudices and arrogance, we are always moralizing about virtues and judging others who fall short of it – without realizing that we too come out short. Oftentimes, we mistake moralizing about virtues with living it out. That is why there is no such thing as a conscious hypocrite. You will inevitably notice that those who are right are always the quietest and those who are wrong are the noisiest because they have to drown out the protest of their own guilt. You will also notice that the “blaming” finger is always pointed at others and hardly at oneself.
Whilst it is easy and almost natural to emulate good men and women, how natural is it for us to examine our own hearts when we see a bad man falls from grace? Often, it is much more natural to gloat, judge and criticize. Rags to riches stories are inspiring, no doubt. But the sad human tendency is this: it is “more rewarding” to eagerly anticipate the inevitable fall of arrogant, rich and famous men and women. And when they do, we, like vultures, will swop in and chew off on the fleshly gossips until we become what the Bible calls “idle talkers” or “hypocrites”.
Here’s one caveat. I am not saying that we should not judge. If we have removed the log out of our eyes, then we may judge the act and not the person. For it is said, “…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)
But I think we, as Christians, will do well to practise self-reflecting judgment. Because we are born of fallen seeds, we must always be on guard for ourselves. We must remember that we are just as fallible as the next fallen guy. So, when we read about the plight of bad men, we should give pause and look into St James’ mirror and remind ourselves of our own fallibility. This is a true high watermark of maturity and humility. And to be humble is to be wise.
WE ALL CLING TO THE PAST OR LONG FOR THE FUTURE, MAKING US UNAVAILABLE TO THE PRESENT (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Our lives are made up of past mistakes and hurts. Our lives are also made up of hopes, fear and anxiety for our future. But often, we forget that our lives are made up of choices and they are the little bricks that build us up, one stone at a time. If you notice, the only thing that is within our control is our choices and they exist for us in the present and not in the past or in the future. Choices in the past are clearly beyond us because they have already been made and we are living with its consequences. And choices in the future have yet to be made for the obvious reason that our future has not arrived.
The tragedy of life is to forcibly compress our past and future into our present; thereby effectively neutralizing our present into non-existence. We then become zombies in our own life, surrendering to the hurts of the past and wallowing over missed opportunities to build up our future. For this reason, Matthew 6 is our alarm siren. It tells us not to worry about life in general. It tells us that tomorrow will worry about itself. It reminds us that each day has enough trouble of its own. So, let’s wake up and smell the challenges of the present and leave the past to bury itself and the future to take care of itself.
In the end, our present is what really counts in this life. And it is important because choices made “in the here and now” will determine how we live our lives, how our past mistakes will affect us, and how we create our future. Let us all be present-oriented. Let us live our lives to make our present counts for the future. Let us be mindful of our present. Let us live consciously and not sleepwalk over our loved ones, neglecting them by dwelling in our past and worrying about our future.
So, in the wise words of Einstein, “I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.” I guess a proper extension of this would be, “I never think of the past. It is gone for good.”
THOSE WHO TRY TO DO SOMETHING AND FAIL ARE INFINITELY BETTER THAN THOSE WHO TRY TO DO NOTHING AND SUCCEED (Richard Bird). Nike is right. We should all just do it. It is far worst to live a life of regrets for things not done than to live a life blemished by mistakes for things done wrong. At least, for the latter life, we can proudly say that we had made the effort, we had lived by conviction, and we had been honest to our plans. You see, the beauty of this aphorism is that those who do nothing in their lives will always, without fail, succeed in it. But their success is ironic. It is a success of nothingness. There is nothing to brag about. Nothing to show. No legacy to inherit. But the opposite is hardly true of a life of consistent trying. It is said that every great journey starts with a small step – in the right direction of course.
For the consistent try-er, there is always the tangible hope of success waiting for him or her at the next try. Newton, Edison and Einstein are all household names because they are simply successful doers; they never gave up or gave in. They pursued their goals with tenacious focus and their success can be summed up as “undying trying”. This is the golden quality of true success. No powers, forces or circumstances in this world can stop the marauding steps of a persevering heart. James 1:12 endorses this championing spirit with these words, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
Have a full throttle week ahead. Fail with panache; Succeed with class!
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