6 ITEMS TO KEEP IN OR OUT OF YOUR LIFE

1.   Greed: Greed is so destructive as it leads to resentment and is generally tied to all sins of the flesh. God wants to compel all of us to a deeper understanding of Him to best recognize His glory, after all, that’s why He made us.  Greed is one of those things that transcend the metaphysical across the entirety of society, religion, and essentially natural law. Wanting the solid things in this life through enduring faith in God is SO much greater than fleeting emotional aspects of a very material world and society.

2.   Jealousy: I would contend that greed leads to jealousy. As for me I want for nothing. I have my God, a brilliant and loving wife (for the FIRST time in my life). Truly, if I ever had the ability to use words that are understandable by the masses, people would be jealous of my position.  Quite honestly, I am indeed greedy for more, through, by, and with God, and quite honestly that should make much of the myopic, morose and nihilistic humanity very jealous with my internal faith with and in God my creator.

3.   Boredom:  I am never bored unless I get myself caught watching the news while waiting in an airport for my often-times delayed flights—I always have a book to read. Boredom is both externally driven by circumstance but also internally driven by the slothful and lazy. Each and every day is a training and learning day. I have noticed that people who are bored lack creativity, discipline of the mind, body, and spirit, and routinely and willfully introduce the banality of others and their emotional diatribes into their lives. I remember in junior and senior high school I was a less stellar student in the subjects that bored me. I loathed anything math and numbers related. I had to teach myself to make the necessary things in life interesting so I could execute with vigor. It may sound odd coming from the guy who only took undergraduate college algebra, never statistics, or economics as I got enough of that in my political science work—but, I convinced myself to get an MBA to teach myself another perspective on the hated matter of math and numbers.  For example, people who hate swimming simply never jump into the pool out of fear.  God wants us to be bold and audacious.  Just jump in the pool, river, ocean, whatever and get wet!  I assure you, you will never be bored.

4.   Whining:  This is embarrassing.  I have emotionally caught myself going down this rabbit hole that leads to full-fledged victimhood.  It is important to compel oneself to a full stop when you complain. Some days the mental, emotional, and physical pain is so immense I don’t have the words to explain them—nor do I need to. Whining is for beta males and females. Properly voicing concerns is very different and appropriate. Whining wastes time and only makes someone feel good for a moment, an emotional cathartic event that again wastes time and never solves the dilemma. Thus far in my walk with God and all of my theological research I have yet to find in the Holy Scripture the word “whine”—it just doesn’t exist.

5.   Agendas:  The truth is that everyone has an agenda in every individual relationship and transcends to the corporate world, all government, and all religion.  Admittedly, I have an agenda.  I also have a moral obligation to question my own agenda, even in this musing, what do I wish to accomplish?  Will it really matter?  Do I do it to present my truth and knowledge for a positive impact on others?  I have to do this every week from the pulpit. Do I want butts in the seat? More money in the plate? More influence or power? Or, worse, do I wish to control? Conversely, I carefully and slowly assess the agenda of other connections and networks, and mainly how they wish to influence me. I take this even a step deeper and farther, what is God’s agenda in my life? Why did God create me and was is my purpose in serving Him and His calling? I would encourage everyone to analyze this deeply and personally as it can provide a great awakening in thought and practice.

6.   Death by inches:  This is about life.  “The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced the concept that every curb we step off of, every small fall we have throughout our lives, etc., is akin to a single fall from the Empire State Building. It’s a fascinating truth.  We readily accept a death by inches in our sense of morality, while others who don’t have that moral compunction or ability to handle the rigors of life choose the more rapid and cataclysmic single event.  I strongly disagree with this form of rapid finality. I deal with a great deal of veteran suicide, much more than I prefer but also understand that those who have a life absent of God, do this act at a much higher level—over 20% more for those without any religious affiliation. There are also other forms and levels of suicide—people who don’t take care of themselves, their mental well-being, properly take their medications, and even keeping their minds engaged—this alters the death by inches into death by feet, yards, or even more. I am inclined to accept death by God’s timing and trust in that. I always pray it is by inches with little pain or anguish—ah, just to float away in my sleep into the arms of my Savior like my father and my grandfather before him.

THAT IS MY TAKE ON THE THINGS I THINK ABOUT, FOR EVERY NEGATIVE, THERE IS A RATIONAL AND COMPARITIVE POSITIVE TO TAKE AWAY. GOOD VERSUS EVIL, GOD VERSUS SATAN, UGLY ASPECTS OF LIFE COMPARED TO BEAUTIFUL ONES. WE ALL GET A CHOICE ON THE MATTER.