Stop romanticizing the past

Ecclesiastes 7:10 KJV
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

The mind has a way of painting the past as better than it really was, if we allow it to. Noone was born to be stagnant. Life is all about change, and with time comes both good and bad days. The more one romanticizes the past, the less one can appreciate and take full advantage of the present moment. “‘Remember where you came from’ is a reference point. It doesn’t mean ‘Stay where you came from'” (Michael David Cobb).

Revenge…or Not

1 Peter 2:23 KJV
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but at the end of the day it brings the avenging party to the level of the offending party, justifying the offender. The best revenge is to strive to live a happy life regardless what someone may have done to threaten one’s happiness. “He that has revenge in his power, and does not use it, is the greater man (Wellins Calcott).

Revenge…or Not

1 Peter 2:23 KJV
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but at the end of the day it brings the avenging party to the level of the offending party, justifying the offender. The best revenge is to strive to live a happy life regardless what someone may have done to threaten one’s happiness. “He that has revenge in his power, and does not use it, is the greater man (Wellins Calcott).

Remember Your Creator

Ecclesiastes 12:1 KJV
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Much like wanting to ‘play the field’ before ‘settling down’, most people would like to ‘enjoy’ life before adhering to the Christian lifestyle. Being a Christian is receiving the grace to be the best one can be, not just a stringent lifestyle. What best time to be the best one can be than in one’s youthful days? “I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me… they’re cramming for their final exam” (George Carlin).

Have a Nice Day

Psalm 118:24 KJV
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we *will* rejoice and be glad in it.

“Have a nice day” is so thrown about that we forget the implication. The implication is for the hearer to *decide* to have a good day, not to wait for whatever happens to decide the quality of one’s day. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

Ripple Effect

Genesis 4:19 KJV
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

Marriage had always been between one man and one woman, that is until Lamech decided to take two wives. Unconsciously he started a trend that took the coming of Jesus to resolve, but still with ramifications today. Whatever you decide to do with your life has a bearing on your future generations, whether you want it to or not. “Every choice we make is like throwing a rock into still water: the ripples keep moving outward” (Anonymous).

Righteous Anger

Ecclesiastes 7:9 KJV
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

There are times for righteous anger, however most times the things we get angry about do not merit the energy we expend on them. “Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy” (Aristotle).

Misguided Zeal

Romans 10:2 KJV
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

It is a wonderful thing to want to serve God zealously but care must be taken to be in the right direction. Misguided zeal for God and the things of God is what makes one susceptible to deception and false gospels. It is what makes people read “Christian” books and swallow everything hook, line and sinker because they are acknowledged bestsellers, and not because they align with the Word of God. It is what makes people follow wolves in sheep’s clothing because they are popular men/women of God, not because their doctrines are biblically sound. “It is not enough to follow Jesus; you must follow the right Jesus” (Justin Peters).
{ASeDa}

Go for it

Ruth 3:8-9 KJV
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. [9] And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

There is a thin line between patience and passivity. There are times patience is needed, and yet there are also times you have to make a move for what you want to achieve in life instead of waiting for conditions to be perfect. “You have the ability to choose which way you want to go. You have to believe great things are going to happen in your life. Do everything you can – prepare, pray and achieve – to make it happen (Ben Carson).

Go for it

Ruth 3:8-9 KJV
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. [9] And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

There is a thin line between patience and passivity. There are times patience is needed, and yet there are also times you have to make a move for what you want to achieve in life instead of waiting for conditions to be perfect. “You have the ability to choose which way you want to go. You have to believe great things are going to happen in your life. Do everything you can – prepare, pray *and achieve* – to make it happen (Ben Carson).