imakelar

Four Elixir

A young man has tried to provide a solid foundation for his family. But he found a void at the bottom of his heartstrings. He was stricken with anxiety and lost his way in life. The situation is getting worse day by day. He decided to go to the doctor before it became too late.

After listening to his complaints, the doctor gave 4 packets of medicine while ordering; “Tomorrow morning before 9 a.m. you must go to the beach alone carrying all 4 packets of this medicine. Do not bring your phone. Also do not bring books or magazines. On the beach you will open the medicine package according to the time recorded on the package, namely at 9 o’clock, 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 5 o’clock. By following the prescription inside, I am sure that your illness will be cured.”

The young man was between believing and doubting the doctor’s prescription. However, the next day he went to the beach as well. As soon as he arrived on the coast in the morning, while the morning sun began to appear on the eastern horizon and the blue sea reflected back its golden-red rays, as the roar of the waves came one after another, his heart filled with great joy.

At exactly 9 o’clock, he opened the first package of medicine. But he couldn’t find any medicine inside, just a piece of paper with the words: “Listen”. The young man obeyed what was told. He then sat quietly listening to the whirr of the beach breeze and the pounding waves that broke the shoreline. He was even slowly able to listen to each of his own heartbeats that blended with the melodies of natural music on the beach. For so long he had never sat down and became as calm as he is today. He was too busy with his business. At this moment he felt as if his soul was washed clean.

12 o’clock exactly. He opened the second package of medicine. Of course, as with the first package, no medicine was found except for a piece of paper that read: “Remembering”. He moved on from listening to that beautiful, cozy beach music and slowly remembered every trace of his own steps since childhood. He recalled his school days, remembering his parents who always flashed love on their faces. He also remembers all the friends he loved and of course also loved him. He felt a mass of strength and warmth of life emanating from his inner foundation.

When he opened the third package at 3 o’clock, he found a piece of paper with the inscription: “Weighing and assessing motivation”. He closed his eyes, focusing his attention on reassessing his first intentions as he built his venture. At that time, the main inspiration for him to open his business was to persistently work to serve the needs of others. But when his business has now acquired its shape, he forgets this and only thinks about the benefits that will be obtained. Advantage is now the master of himself, he has turned into an egoistic human being, and forgets to pay attention to the fate of others. Now that he seems to have been able to see the root of his own disease, he finds a reason that always makes him anxious.

When the sun was gone and the expanse of sea turned red, he opened the last package of his medicine. It read: “Write all your anxieties on the shore”. He went to the shore, then wrote the word “anxious”. The waves came in unison and erased what he had just written. The shoreline seemed to be swept away, the word “anxious” he had just written was lost to the waves.

Who is the main character in the above story? We. We are often overwhelmed with anxiety like that young man. Have we ever sincerely listened to our own inner language? Or have we ever remembered all the sweet and bitter things that happened in the past that have shaped who we are today? What is the main motivation of our lives today and tomorrow? And what is our anxiety?

Let’s write down every burden and anxiety we have to our Creator. Leave all our worries, anxieties, fears and problems to Him. For He Himself once said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

Heartbreaker

“Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,and a bribe corrupts the heart.“

Man is judged by his actions, the better his actions the better his dignity. Human actions are measured by internal impulses and this is very difficult for others to measure. Actions that seem good may be motivated by evil intentions from the heart.

Satan’s greatness is to disguise bad things to appear good and beneficial, but the process of life will reveal the inner impulse of each action.

Everyone who lives needs money and means of life support so that his life will develop and that is the most severe temptation for human conscience. It is expected that people enjoy the fruits of their labor to finance their lives.

Shortcuts to get the money or goods they want are extortion and vice versa to persuade others to get support in any form, then people give bribes. Blackmailers and bribe givers corrupted his own heart; extortionists damage the hearts of people they blackmail with disappointment, anger, even revenge; the recipient of a bribe is broken in his heart to see the problem correctly from all sides.

A kind heart forms a sincere life and that is what is expected of everyone.

“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him:For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.“

Our Words Have Power

“From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.“

God created the heavens and the earth and their contents with His words spoken through His mouth. “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3), so the light was made. “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” (Genesis 1:6), And it was so. Words are an important element in the process of creation of the universe. So all the words that come out of God’s mouth are powerful.

“Because we are created according to His image and likeness, then every word that comes out of our mouth contains power. Whatever we say will have an impact on our future. So let us be prepared to be incessantly reminded to be careful with our words. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. “-James

Are we still reckless with our words? With words, we can build a good future, but can also destroy our own future. With words, we can strengthen, comfort, weaken, and also hurt others. Do not be weary of saying positive things, because what we believe, if we say it with faith, sooner or later will come true in the real world. Say the promises of God’s word every day and stop saying negative things! Because our words have great power.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,think about such things.

Three Important Messages

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,…”

A father wants to give three important messages to his son who wants to go abroad. The three important messages are:

Do good to others.
Be respectful of others.
Work diligently and do not forget to pray.

And today I was reminded again of this three important messages, including:

1. Offer the precious thing in you to the holy and glorious. And the only holy and glorious thing is God Himself.

Do to others what we want them to do for us. We always want others to treat us in a good and right way. The same thing we must do for others. That’s the “golden rule.” Compete in love.

The journey to salvation often takes on complicated trajectories. Therefore, it takes a diligent and faithful struggle. On the other hand, to achieve devastating pleasure, the path is very easy. That is why we often fall into temptation.

Dear God, guide us to always hold fast to thy word as guidance, way, truth, and life. Amin

Discover Your Life Path

There is a young man, he went to a top campus, the top major, and graduated as the top graduate.

Ten years on, when his friends thought this young man would work in America, or Europe, to become a giant corporate executive with a super high salary, it didn’t. This young man chose to devote his life in the interior, becoming a teacher.

Alas, what a loss. Why is the math score always 100? Why does he master 4 foreign languages? Why all this education if it’s just working in the interior, in the middle of the forest, with village children? Lose out!

But wait, ask this young man before we sentence him blindly, why did he become like that? “Because this is my way of life. Many have taken the way of life working in Europe, America, taking a business class plane, staying in a five-star hotel, having a house with a swimming pool. So who will take a different path in life? Who educates children in the interior. I chose a different path in life. And I am happy with this way of life. This is my life now.” That’s really a brilliant answer.

But not many will be able to understand the logic of this young man. Even if someone can understand it, there won’t be many (of these few) who are ready to take a similar path.

More accounting for fame, fortune, luxury, and other world standards of living. And many more don’t even know, don’t care, what life path he will choose. Anyway, that’s it.

But really, think about it. What path of life will we choose now, and in the future.

Life is only once, and in a period that is actually very short. Make sure you’ve chosen your best path: usefulness.

Make sure your life benefits many people.

Don’t hesitate to take a completely different turn.

Don’t be afraid to take a lonely turn; it’s okay if it’s not crowded, people are reluctant to pass it, if we believe that’s the best way of life for us, continue the journey with a firm heart.

You know, life never talks about wealth. Many rich people whose wealth is bigger than today’s rich people, they are still forgotten. Life is also not about fame. Power.

Many people who were more famous and more powerful than people today, were also forgotten. Discover the essence of life while continuing to walk the path we have chosen.

The Weight Of A Glass

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Once upon a time, a psychology professor walked into a classroom for a course on principles of stress management with a glass of water. When he started by holding the glass of water high, everyone expected to be asked the “glass half empty or glass half full” question they had heard many times. Instead, with a smile on his face, the professor asked, “How much does this glass of water I’m holding weigh?”

His students shouted answers that varied to several hundreds of grams – as close as possible to the weight of a glass of water.

The professor replied, “From my point of view, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, this glass is quite light. If I hold it for an hour, the weight might make my arm a little sore. If I held it for an entire day, my arm would likely cramp and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass on the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass does not change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the disruptive class agreed, he continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very similar to this glass of water. Think about those things for a while then nothing happens. Think about those things a little longer then you start to hurt a bit. Think about those things all day, then you’ll feel completely numb and paralyzed – unable to do anything else until you drop it.”

Hence it is important to remember to let go of any of your stress and worries. Whatever happens during the day, at least when night falls, put all your weights down. Do not carry it all night and into the following days. If you still felt the weight of yesterday’s stress, that’s a strong sign that it’s time to put down your “glass.”

“We cannot avoid the burdens of life, but we have a choice, as to whether we carry them in on the strength of our own backs or yoke ourselves to our Lord who has promised to get under the load with us and make our burdens light.” – Al Cadenhead

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“

The Bomboo Story

Have we ever thought that with endless problems coming one after another, perhaps God is processing us to be beautiful before Him? Here’s the story of a piece of bamboo and maybe we can learn something from it.

A beautiful bamboo stick grows in the yard of a farmer’s house. This bamboo stem grows towering high among other bamboo sticks. One day came the farmer who owned the bamboo tree. He said to the bamboo sticks, “O bamboo, will I use you to be a water pipe, which is very useful for irrigating my fields?”

The bamboo stick answered him, “Oh, of course I would like it if it could be useful to you, master. But tell me what you’re going to do to make me into that plumbing.”

The farmer answered, “First, I will cut you down to separate you from your beautiful grove. Then I will throw away your branches that can hurt the person holding you. After that I will divide you according to my needs. Finally, I will remove the barriers inside your trunk, so that the water can flow smoothly. When I am done with my work, you will be a pipe that will drain water to irrigate my fields so that the rice I plant can flourish.”

Hearing this, the old bamboo sticks fell silent, then he said to the farmer, “Master, of course I will feel very pain when you cut me. It will also surely hurt when you throw away my branches, even more so when you split my beautiful trunk, and it must be unbearable when you scrape through the inside of my body to remove the barriers. Will I be strong through all that process, Master?”

The farmer replied to the bamboo stick, “O bamboo, you must be strong through all that, for I chose you precisely because you are the strongest of all the stems in this clump. So stay calm.”

Finally the bamboo stick gave up, “Well, sir. I would love to be of any use to you. Here I am, cut me down, do as you will.”

After the farmer is done with his work, beautiful bamboo sticks that used to only decorate the farmer’s yard, have now turned into water pipes that irrigate his fields so that rice can grow luxuriantly and bear many fruits.

Just like those bamboo sticks, we are being forged. God is making us perfect to be used as distributors of blessings, so that we become more useful and better. He is casting away our pride and all our attributes that are not pleasing to Him. But don’t worry, we must be strong because God will not give us burdens that we cannot bear.

So will we surrender to God’s will, allowing Him the freedom to work within us to make us useful instruments for Him? Like that bamboo stick, let us say, “Here I am Lord, do as You will.”

Through The Sharpening Process

As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

When we experience problems, suffering, pressure, crushes, and frictions that occur we generally respond negatively: blame circumstances, others, even dare to blame God. Yet sometimes God uses situations and people around us as a means of processing, shaping, and maturing us.

The Bible describes this process as iron sharpening iron. When iron sharpens, iron will inevitably cause friction that injures and causes fire. Fire speaks of emotions, anger, hurt, bitterness, irritation, hatred, and various painful wounds. Through events or relationships with people around us, God is actually working on us because He is the Fallout, who knows exactly how to shape a person’s life. “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. (Jer 18:4).

God’s purpose in sharpening us is to make us more mature, more perfect, and more pleasing. Therefore we should be grateful for every problem or event that occurs in this life, including the presence of people around us. Never blame circumstances or scapegoat others when it comes to going through this process. Joseph never blamed his brothers even though they had hurt and made his life miserable, and could even say, “Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now – life for many people.” (Gen 50:20).

Our character is precisely formed when we build relationships with others, which is when we experience sharpening. The sharpening process can happen anywhere, anytime, and through anyone.

Problem: Everyone Has It

There is no life without problems! As long as we live we can’t get away or run away from problems, all we have is how we find a way out of every problem. So, we don’t have to pity ourselves in such a way when we’re in trouble, because we’re not the only ones who experience it, but everyone without exception, and wherever they are, they’re going through the same thing.

The question may arise in our hearts: “Why do problems, sufferings, or pressures often afflict our life?” We need not be surprised, for Christ has already said this from before: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Problems are always there because we live in the middle of a world, where people have a tendency to do evil. That is why believers in this world are like sheep in the midst of wolves (see Matthew 10:16). However, we need not fear because the Holy Spirit within us is greater than the spirit in the world (see 1 John 4:4), and Christ has overcome the world.

Problems and suffering are always present because Satan does not like to see believers living in happiness, so it does everything it can to intimidate, steal, weaken, and destroy our lives (see John 10:10a). But we must also remember that there are also problems caused by our own mistakes (see 1 Peter 2:20). Realizing that problems are experienced by everyone, we must be stronger and more steadfast in facing them, because there is God on our side, “though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:24). God never promises life without problems, but what He promises is strength, inclusion, protection, care and a way out of the problems we experience.

“HE protects all His bones,
not one of them will be broken.“

The Joy Of Giving To Those In Need

A beautiful woman in an expensive dress complained to her psychiatrist that she felt her whole life was meaningless. So the psychiatrist called the cleaner lady and said to the rich woman, “I’m going to have Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. I want you to hear it.”

The cleaner lady put down her broom handle and sat down on the chair and told her the story, “My husband died of malaria, and three months later my only child died in an accident. I have no one. I lost everything. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought about ending my life. Until one afternoon a kitten followed me home. For a moment I felt sorry to see it. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten into the house. I gave him milk and he drank it all the way through. Then the kitten spoiled at my feet and for the first time I smiled.

“A moment later I thought if just helping a kitten could make me smile, then maybe doing something for someone else would make me happy. So later in the day I brought some biscuits to give to the neighbor who was lying sick in bed. Every day I try to do something nice to everyone. It makes me happy when I see other people happy. Today, I don’t know if anyone can sleep and eat better than me. I have found happiness by giving.”

When the rich woman heard this, she cried. she had everything that money could buy, yet she lost something that money couldn’t buy.