self-help – Page 18 – 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐫

Pick The most Beautiful Flowers

One day a student asked his wise teacher, “How can we get something perfect in this life” The wise teacher said, “Walk straight in the flower garden in front of you, pick the one flower that you think is the most beautiful. But you can’t go back back to pluck the flowers you’ve passed.”

The student carried out the orders of the teacher. After walking to the end of the garden, he returned empty-handed. The teacher asked, “Why didn’t you get any flowers?” The student replied, “Actually I have found it, but I didn’t pick it because I thought maybe there was something more beautiful ahead. And so on, and without realizing it I was already at the end of the garden without earn any interest.”

The teacher then explained. “That’s the way life is. In this life, people always want to get the most perfect, but what often happens, he gets nothing.” Only God is perfect. His works are perfect, His ways are perfect, His grace is perfect, His love is perfect.

Therefore, we need to learn to accept each other. It’s one of our ways to learn and strive to be perfect.

We don’t need to be disappointed if we find many imperfections in this life. We all have ideals, but we need to be realistic about them. In various imperfections, we learn to rely on a perfect God. Let His grace, love, and inclusion strengthen us.

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice, strive to be perfect. Take all my advice! Be of one heart, and live in peace; then God, the source of love and peace, will be with you!”

We Have Been Warned

Many people have unknowingly destroyed their own lives through their foolish actions or disobedience, even though they have been rebuked and warned by God with love.

This happened to Cain! When his heart was filled with anger, jealousy, and envy towards his brother, God had warned and rebuked him gently. The Lord said: “Will your faces not be radiant, if you do good But if you do not do good, sin is already peeking at the door;”.

God assured Cain that he could actually win the inner battle, but Adam’s elder son ignored God’s warning and followed his heart: “Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out into the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain suddenly struck his younger brother Abel and killed him.”

This is the first crime of murder committed by humans. Cain who doesn’t look the least bit sorry for what he’s done has to bear the punishment from God: “…cursed are you, thrown away from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hands. If you cultivate the land, the land will not be will give you full fruit again; you become a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Until this moment there are millions of people on this earth who are walking the “way of Cain!” Only because they are aroused by emotions, hate, envy, jealousy, or because they want other people’s property, they have the heart to do heinous acts, without thinking about the risks or consequences.

It’s important that people have self-control. If not, then sin is already peeking at the door. “…everyone is tempted by his own desires, for he is drawn in and enticed by them. And when that desire is fertilized, it gives birth to sin; and when that sin is ripe, it gives birth to death.” For ignoring God’s warning, Cain’s life was ruined!

Good Actions Produce Good Results.

Once upon a time there was a house in the middle of the forest inhabited by a mother and her young child.

One day the boy was in the yard playing. At the same time a deer came. The deer tried to put its antlers into the child’s clothes so that the little boy seemed to be lifted on the antlers of the deer. Instantly the child was afraid of the deer and cried while shouting for his mother.

Reflexively the mother came out of the house and began to see what was happening. Unexpectedly, his son had been carried away into the forest by a deer. The mother tried her best to chase the deer into the forest.

But when the mother got to the forest, her child was already in the wide grass area and playing as usual. The mother was relief and started holding her child. They returned to their home.

But what happened, it turned out that their house had been crushed by a large tree. Of course, the condition of the house became shattered. The mother began to think that if she was still in the house without chasing her child, she would have become a victim of the fallen tree.

Instantly she remembered that several years earlier she had saved a fawn from a hunter. She covered the fawn with various kinds of cloth so as not to be caught by the hunters. When the hunters had left the place, she began to take the cloth covering the fawn and release the fawn into the forest.

Unexpectedly, the deer that brought her child was the deer she had saved first. It was as if the fawn was trying to thank the mother by taking her child to run into the forest and to save the family from a falling tree.

There is never a loss in doing good, no matter how small it is. Good actions will produce good results, and bad actions will produce bad results. No one can escape this reality. We really reap what we sow.

Sometimes the consequences are immediately apparent after our actions, such as when we get good grades for studying diligently, or fall and hurt our feet because we are not careful on the road.

At other times, we may not receive the consequences of our actions directly. For example, it is difficult to get a high-paying job because maybe we didn’t really study when we were in school or college, or we live healthy and fit in our old age because we have eaten healthy food and exercised diligently since we were young.

Continue to do good and other positive things because we must not be fooled by temporary and invisible things, thinking that our actions are not producing anything. Sow good things in our lives, so that our lives become a blessing and bring joy to others.

“Let us not become weary of doing good, for when the time comes, we will reap, if we do not become weak.”

Bitten Apple

A teacher is holding an apple. A few moments later he took a bite of some of the apple.

He then went to the mirror. He faced the apple in the part he had bitten into the mirror. Seen apples that are not whole anymore.

He then turned it over. Parts that are still intact are faced in front of the mirror. Now the apple looks like a whole apple.

The teacher then explained to his students: “That’s the face of social media life. Don’t swallow social media for granted. Moreover, rely on it.”

Social media is like a mass response. Both convey messages to us, but cannot be relied on to be fully trusted. Today, many people are drawn to their attention and energy by social media. It’s not that it’s wrong or just bad, but we must remain vigilant. Do not let all concentration drained and we are made blind to all its messages. Do not be lulled or sedated by his deceitful charm.

Make sure we always return to real life, to common sense, and the people closest to us.

Bring Good

Life consists of the paradoxes of life that complement each other, namely health-sickness, hardships, gains and losses, difficulties, cheapness and even free, and so on.

Life must be selective in certain things such as a healthy lifestyle about eating and drinking but that is not a guarantee that life will not fall ill.

Humans are looking for cheap, easy, and fun but it often happens that the problems that arise cause great difficulties in life.

“Everything” means that every thing that happens, every situation that exists, we should realize that God is working to bring good to those who love God. This means that man must be able to see God’s presence in all things and let God work in those things.

God brings good from all things to everyone who loves God and lets God continue to plan for his life. “But the plans of the LORD endure forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation.”

Build Grace

“Let no dirty words come out of your mouth, but use good words to build up, where necessary, so that those who hear it may find grace.”

Grace is not something that is built from a foundation into a building that is getting more and more formed so that it will eventually be completed. Grace is a gift from above, Lord; not the work of man.

Grace can be received if there is a good word in that place. So what is heard can also be a channel of blessing to receive that grace .

There are two kinds of words, namely good and dirty. Dirty words are definitely evil and lead to sin while good words can still contain evil by an insincere motivation.

Kind words build up and where previously unaccustomed to good words will become a program of personal development that enables humans to receive grace.

That grace is delivered by kind words to those whose personalities are awakened. Kind words build where they need to be… no, kind words build wherever they are spoken.

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up as you are doing.”

Obedience

One day God gave a task to a man. The Lord showed him a large boulder and told the man to push it with all his might.

For months the man kept pushing, not a single rock moved. Exhausted and desperate, the man protested, “Lord, I have used all my strength, but look, this stone has not moved. Why did I fail?” God replied, “My son, I only told you to push the rock and not move it. Now you thought you had failed. But now look at you. Your arms and muscles have become strong.You really cannot move the stone because I call you to obey to do My will, and to prove your faith. It is I who will move the stone. !”

The waiter at the wedding at Cana probably thought like the man above when he ran out of wine. Jesus commanded them to fill the jars, usually reserved for the washing of feet, with water! They may wonder because they cannot understand the strange commandment, but they remember Mary’s message, “What (Jesus) said to you, do it!” They also obeyed when Jesus asked to scoop up the water in the jar and bring it to the master of the feast. The rest is Jesus at work!

Yes, God only asks us to obey His word. The result is God at work. Whatever results He makes, always brings glory to Him. Remember, obedience to God’s commands is our part. About the results, it becomes God’s part.

Honesty

Everyone expects success to be a part of his life. Success has often even become a human measure even though success is not automatically a sign that someone is blessed.

Humans need truth. He wants the right thing for himself but often finds it difficult to do the right thing for himself. The key to truth is honesty because telling the truth according to the situation is honesty. In stating the truth, it is often found that other people do not accept the truth.

Reminded not to swear by anything to prove that we are right. Everyone’s job is to tell the truth, other people’s response to that is not our business with them but their business with themselves and with God.

Not taking an oath needs to be considered in order to color this life because not taking an oath is humility to admit that everything is not the property and power of humans.

An honest life is a life that is blessed by God with success, not a life that is punished by the rejection of others who have been treated dishonestly.

There is someone who loves You.

Odessa Moore visits a detention house and meets a teenager who is about to serve his first trial for murder.

“There’s someone who loves you,” Odessa told him.

“No way. No one,” replied the teenager.

“You’re here for murder, aren’t you?” asked Odessa.

The teenager nodded. “But what if someone came in here and said, ‘I know you killed, and they’re going to sentence you to death, but I’ll take your place.’ How do you like it?” asked Odessa.

“You must be joking. But, well, its good,” said the teenager.

Odessa then told about Jesus and explained about sin, repentance, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ. Hearing this, the youth welcomed a second chance to live free from eternal punishment.

Moses was a great leader. However, few people know how he felt when he killed people and fled his country. During his 40 years on the run, we don’t know how many times he thought about quitting. How often had he felt that his life had been ruined? But, God gave him a second chance. Not just an opportunity to be a better person, but an opportunity to be a leader of his people.

When we suffer the consequences of sin, not a few feel accused, as if life is no longer meaningful. When we are in that position, remember that God always provides an opportunity for us to return to Him. When the opportunity comes, respond immediately.

Power Like A Horse

Horses symbolize strength, speed, and agility. Everything in the horse (strength, speed, dexterity) comes from God; He completed it. The Lord said to Job, “Are you the one who gave energy to the horse? Are you the one who wears the mane on the nape of his neck?” The purpose of this word of God was to affirm to Job that He was the one who gave strength to the horse. If horses alone are given tremendous strength and advantage by God, let alone we are His children; He must be able to give us everything we need.

Why does God give an example of a horse? It’s not without intent. Horses have running speed to avoid predators. In addition, horses have a strong balance and instinct to fight or escape. That is why horses can sleep even when standing. The value of more than a horse is its great power.

We have many reasons to avoid God’s work. But actually we are lazy and do not want to act. Our energy is more we spend watching tv, lazing around, relaxing, and so on.

It takes courage to believe that God is capable of doing everything in our lives. Today God is looking for people who have a heart and are willing to be responsible for what God gives.

Appreciate every talent and gift of God as something very valuable. Don’t take it for granted. In these latter days Satan continues to multiply his strength to ensnare the weak, for the day of condemnation is coming soon.