To Right A Wrong

Every wrong doing is a barrier separating us from God. To move closer to Him, the barrier must be removed. Restitution (described in the dictionary as “any act of restoring . . . of giving an equivalent for loss or damage”) is one way of accomplishing this. It is not easy, but if you work at it, you’ll find the rewards are great.

First, read the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19) and not how he decided that before he could become a follower of Jesus he had to make restitution for his past dishonesty: “And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Then review the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Make your prayer something like this: “Lord, I have done many wrong things in my life. Help me to see now which ones I can rectify. Show me how to go about this so that in a small way it will ease the hurt of mankind and glorify You.”

Second, make a list of the wrongs you want to right and submit it prayerfully to God. Remember this is a private matter between you and God. Do not let anyone else see this list. Overzealousness in confessing sins is wrong if it involves someone else and hurts is or her reputation.

Third, write down after each wrong the action you feel guided to take. A letter of apology; or, if there seems no way to pay a person back, send an equivalent sum to a church or charity. Restoring a bad relationship is thorny; one way is to seek the other person out and personally admit your mistake. Go further and accept responsibility for things that happened which you feel were not your fault. If your effort is rejected, don’t feel hurt. You tried. Te wounds may take time to heal. Try again later.

Restitution is a good way to deal wit an overgrown ego. It also strengthen one’s faith and makes it harder to beackslide. The worker who returned the equipment he had sneaked out of his company found his will to resist temptations stronger. The more so because he acknowledged his guilt to is boss and fellow workers. Restitution always const something—money, pride, position—but the alternative is worse, and inner discontent.

Righting a wrong smooths your way to God agan!

Source: “ Daily Guidepost ”

The million-peso mistake (1)

Good morning everyone. In our life we always commit mistakes even if we don’t want it to happen. It’s like an accident. Anytime it can be happen. With the words of Bob Garon that inspired me a lot in life. He told us how to have a good quality of life. Not just living in this world. Learn to accept the mistakes what we’ve done. I want to share you what he wrote.

A few years ago, the bank my wife, Emmy, was dealing with, made a terrible mistake. They credited her with more than a million pesos that was not ours. There it was, a million-peso-mistake sitting in our bank account. Emmy never hesitated. She immediately called the bank and told them of their unsolicited “gift.” She knew that the money wasn’t ours and that it could never be ours and knew right away that it was a mistake that had to be corrected soonest.

It was, and the person who made the mistake called Emmy to thank her. It was a gaffe that could have cost her job and she was so grateful that my wife quickly rectified the error and saved every one from a lot of heartache.

I was reminded of this when I watched a report on TV that told of a couple who had been into a similar situation, but responded in a very different manner. It seems that somebody made a horrible error and put into the couple’s account millions of dollars. What the couple did was quickly take the money and run. They left their house, their work and their good name and took off with the loot.

Steps to Enthusiasm

Too many people are defeated in life because they lack a very important quality: enthusiasm. Those who think of enthusiasm as a kind of superficial emotion should remember that the Greek words en theos mean “in God,” George Matthew Adams puts it this way: “Enthusiasm is a kind of faith that has been set afire.”

Just as the world loves a lover, so does the world love the person who is excited about life. If you are a person with no enthusiasm, or not enough, I suggest three steps which may help you.

Act as If: the noted psychologist William James said, “If you want a quality, act as if you already have it.” for example, suppose you have an inferiority complex that you want to change. Start visualizing yourself, not as you think you are, but rather as you’d like to be—in this case a person confident, assured, able to meet people and to deal with situations. Then act as if you were that confident person. It has been proven that, in time, you tend to become what you think you are.

Ventilate Your Mind: Empty your mind of gloomy thoughts. Go over the day’s unpleasant incidents: a sharp word, a disappointment. Review your mistakes, error or stupidities. Hold them before you, drawing from them all the lessons they have to give. Then lump them together and mentally drop them out of your consciousness, saying these therapeutic words: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before . . . (Philippians 3:13)

Tell Yourself All the Good News You know: Psychologists agree that you can condition a day in the first five minutes after you awaken. It was Henry Thoreau, the American Philosopher, which used to lie abed for a while in the morning telling himself all the good news he could think of that he had a healthy body, that his mind was alert, his work interesting. The same kind of technique can help you look forward to the day with eagerness. And the more good news you tell yourself, the more good news there is likely to be.

Maybe God bless you, and may you feel the joy for living that He wants you to have. N.V.P

A diamond for the youth - 2

We all get to a point in our lives where our vibrant dreams suddenly turn into a dismal blur. Some would instruct us to do our part then leave it all to God. On the other hand, some would insist that your human abilities are just not enough. So which is it, really? Is it because you lack the faith and fervent prayers to back your aspirations, or are you really not capable of receiving what you long for because of your lack of skills, patience or education? I guess that certain elements will always come to play when it comes to the achievement of things that we hope for. The first is your actual qualifications.

Ask yourself, are your credentials, training and experience sufficient for whatever goal you want to achieve? You cannot be the CEO of a large, multinational firm if you didn’t even finish college. Some may argue that there are still some people who make it big even without the necessary education, as seen in the success stories of dropouts who have become tech magnates or street children who have metamorphosed into boxing superstars. But this is simply a myth; one way or another, these people have paved their way to get there. They did not simply wake up one day with the hand of God casting them from the slums to the big time. They had to work long hours, developed virtues and self-studied to know how to get to where they are now.

And now you wonder why you have all it takes and you’re even overqualified, but you still don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Here’s where life’s most important aspect comes into play—making a huge effort where it matters most. There are those who might not be as talented, but they have excelled more because of their perseverance. After all, diamonds are simply bits of coal that stuck to their jobs. I admit that I am one of the many people who are guilty of the lack of this—I allowed myself to drift from one job to another, not focusing on just one thing because I thought that I could do everything. I also confess that I’ve considered immediate gratification rather than knowing the ropes and then earning my wings to orchestrate the show. Like most of the young people, I’ve sought acceptance, popularity and easy money. We all forget top build up on the essentials and never run out of excuses for not sowing yesterday what we could be reaping today.

Forgiving our mistakes and pledging to get better is the first way to get somewhere right. There’s a fine line between keeping your mess and fixing up straight. Your decision today will determine your tomorrow.

ref: inquirer.net