A List of What's Important - sensen15 (e book reader pc .TXT) 📗

What Remains beside the Vessel?

My life is a vessel. Out of it can pour goodness or bitterness. If I were to die, what might others say of my vessel? Knowing three things happened, I'd be content:

#1 Knowing that I served and honored the Creator (our loving Heavenly Father) with a glad heart, every day and every minute of each day;

#2 Knowing that my wife and my ten children were sure I loved them more than anyone else in this world;

#3 Knowing that I served in my local community as an encourager, friend, coworker and leader (when necessary).

... having these facts for them to remember, I would feel I had accomplished fullness in my life.

In the thick of the trials, when my wallet is nearly empty, and when I am not confident with my next steps forward in life, and when I am tempted to become irritated, then these things (#1, #2, and #3, above) are easy to say but hard to do.

I want to be gentle and at peace.

Putting Aside What Hinders

I live today, and I do not live in the past. I try not to worry over what could happen tomorrow, but I hope to plan effectively, so that good goals are reached.

Chapter 1 shows ideals, and now we grasp realities.


#1 Do my parents or grandparents or great grandparents have bitterness trickling, flowing or pouring out of them? Even if they are dead and gone, the memory of them (and what they accomplished in their lives) still lingers.

I am not obligated to follow after their bitterness. That can and should change.

#2 Do I responsibly deal with peace and gentleness when I face a situation? If I did not do what promotes peace and gentleness in my recent or distant past, then I need to break out of the old routine, to get good changes to happen today (and tomorrow).

I am not obligated to act with the same bitterness I did in the past. That can and should change.

#3 Do I associate myself with people who have bitterness flowing out of them? My neighbors see the ones with whom I associate, and that makes a difference to them.

I am not obligated to associate with anyone who is steeped in bitterness. That can and should change.


While being loving and peaceable, I keep distance from a deepening involvement with what leads to bitterness. It is not right to shun the bitter ones. Then they would feel lonely. It is important to urge them toward goodness. I cannot offer them goodness without first having something within my heart corresponding to goodness.

Real goodness comes from only one source .... the infinite God of this universe, who is manifest plainly to us all through the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Real goodness comes from experiencing the presence of the One who is good. God is the essence and fullness of real love. By His purity, all can know what is good. No mixture of good and bitter exists with God. At the heart of this experience, complete trust is required. God is trustworthy. To trust, one must feel justice is utilized. God is just. Every human is tainted with illness, but the ill need compassion. God is full of compassion and mercy.

Finally, then, what stops our vessel's flow of goodness? Selfish pride. Rooting out that ugly thing, the goals (#1, #2 and #3, in the first chapter) begin to actually become realities.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Resources

The Bible is a great book. The King James Version is recommended.

http://sensendollars.com (a small portion of the author's business involvement)

Imprint

Text: Douglas Scofield
Publication Date: 01-27-2012

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