Agendas

Ephesians 5:16 KJV

[16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

James 4:14 KJV

[14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.

New Year resolutions are commendable and all, but as the saying goes, time and tide waits for noone, and neither should you. We do not need to set a pattern of waiting for every new year before starting to make right choices we can start now; most people give up halfway anyway. Life is too short to afford pushing agendas to the unknown future. “The future starts today not tomorrow” (Pope John Paul II).

Patience

Hebrews 6:15 KJV

[15] And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Life is all about patience. Children are in a hurry to grow, single people are usually in a hurry to get married, to have kids, get rich etc, but what makes these worthwhile is being patient in the journey to get there. “Patience is not the ability to wait. Patience is to be calm no matter what happens, constantly take action to turn it to positive growth opportunities, and have faith to believe that it will all work out in the end while you are waiting (Roy T. Bennett).

Perspective

Proverbs 15:15 KJV

[15] All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

One’s perpective of life has a direct bearing to one’s quality of life. If you choose to look at life negatively, life will be a negative experience, and the opposite is true. “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden” (Frances Hodgson Burnett).

{ASeDa}

Fluffy

Hebrews 3:13 KJV

[13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

When we cradle a particular sinful habit as a ‘weakness’ a time comes that we become desensitized to the seriousness of its impact on our spiritual lives. “Don’t put a pretty collar on your sin and call the baby tiger Fluffy. It will grow up and eat you alive” (John Piper).

Hell

Matthew 5:29 KJV

[29] And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Whatever temptation comes our way is not worth gratifying considering the long term price it comes with. “Follow boldly in your Master’s steps, for He has made this rough journey before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest than false peace and everlasting torment” (Alistair Begg).

Responsibility

Proverbs 19:3 KJV

[3] The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord .

It is futile to blame God for certain consequences of our actions and inactions instead of admitting our faults and learning from them. “When we reject personal responsibility, we also reject the truth about God…It is crucial to admit that negative views of God result directly from our reluctance to take responsibility for difficulties we and other humans create…To improve our view of God we must upgrade our willingness to take responsibility” (David Truman).

Generational “Curses”

Deuteronomy 32:7 KJV

[7] Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

Looking at the past is not always a bad thing, especially if the purpose is to learn from it. For example, a recurring familial situation may be mistaken for a generational ‘curse’ , but may in reality be a pattern of mistakes of grandparents, parents etc which they may have unconsciously passed down one to the other, and can be resolved through commitment to breaking the cycle. “Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it” (George Santayana).

Learn from Others

Romans 15:4 KJV

[4] For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

There is no value in insisting on making one’s own mistakes. There are billions of people who have experienced life and it is better to avoid their mistakes than to repeat them because life is too short anyway. “From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own” (Publilius Syrus).

Hold your cardsw

Matthew 25:18,24 KJV

[18] But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

We must learn to make do with whatever gifts, talents etc. we have been blessed with. Nobody else can do a better job with what you were born with than you. Instead of comparing yourself with others, focus on what you have and do your best with them. “Life consists not in holding good cards, but in holding what you have well” (Josh Billings).

Mystery

John 13:7 KJV

[7] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Sometimes we may not have a clear understanding of what may be happening in our lives, but that does not mean things will not work out well in the end. “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next” (Gilda Radner)