The Result of Your Efforts

 

As was stated many years ago, for every action there is a reaction, this is true in the physical world and is also true in the mental and emotional worlds. When you release something from your grip, it will fall to the ground and if it is designed in a certain way, it will possibly bounce back up toward you. The thoughts that pass through your mind and how you respond to those thoughts will have a direct impact upon the quality of your heart, soul and life.

A famous and holy monk once said that thoughts are like airplanes flying overhead, you can choose to pay attention to them, dwell on them and allow them to distract you from whatever it is that you were currently doing. Or even better yet, you can ignore those thoughts that draw you toward that which is dark and evil, which will be to your benefit.

The words you speak to others will have a direct impact upon those who hear you speak, if your words are good, beautiful and encouraging then speak them but withhold your opinions about the behavior of others, especially if they have not asked for your opinion or input in that regard.

The actions that you take will be influenced and directed by the thoughts that you choose to fill your head, the words that emerge from your mouth whether spoken to others or spoken only to yourself. Be focused and thoughtful about what you think, what you speak, and what you do, be considerate of the consequences of your thoughts, words, and actions.

Whatever you think, say, or do will lead you down a certain path. Gain wisdom and direction from those who are wiser than you, who have more experience than you, and who can help you move toward success and joy. When you plant a tree, that tree will bear fruit based on its genetic makeup, if you plant flowers, fruits, or vegetables, these will produce according to their kind.

Your thoughts, your words, and your actions will produce something as well, depending on what they are. Do not be surprised if your thoughts, words, and actions are centered around selfishness, anger, lust, or depravity, then produce consequences that lead you toward darkness, disappointment, and failure. If you want to see success in your life, then form your thoughts, your words, and your actions to produce that which is good, right, and beautiful.

The Shape of Your Soul

It is common all over the world for those who put great value in physical strength and overall health to try to imitate those who excel in these areas. This is not an unreasonable approach and mindset, both of these reveal what someone believes to be important. In a similar way, those who put great value in being wealthy, being comfortable, and enjoying the pleasures of life, will seek to imitate those who also succeed in these areas. Again, this is not unreasonable, if we want to succeed in either of these areas, it would make sense to find someone who can provide us with wisdom and guidance.

The tragic part of this story is that most people put a big emphasis on physical health and finances, while neglecting to give consideration to the shape and health of their heart and soul. If you step away from your approach to life, consider what you are doing and who you are imitating, what will you see? Are you just another faceless, nameless Westerner who is distracted by Hollywood, social media and vacuous entertainment?

This could be phrased as “what is the shape of your soul”? Over the last two thousand years, the historic Christian Church has encouraged its members to imitate the thoughts, the words, and the actions of Jesus Christ and the apostles. There is also the idea that we have thousands and thousands of holy men and women who were not distracted by the cultures in which they lived.

This is where we see great value in reading the lives of these holy people, so we have a good understanding of how we can approach life and form ourselves into something excellent, rather than being empty, hollow, and distracted. Look at how you use your time, your money, and where your thoughts focus in times when you are not in conversation with others. Do we dwell on and think about what we can do to be good, holy, and kind people, or do we allow ourselves to be distracted by silliness, inanity, and pointless entertainment that draws us toward that which is contrary to holiness?

An honest assessment of your thoughts, your words, and your actions will reveal what is actually important to you. Be honest with yourself, document how you think, how you speak, and how you treat others. Is your life one that exudes kindness, generosity, and love for others, or are you simply focused on your own comfort and pleasure?

The Chosen Path

 

                Everyone transitions or should transition from childhood to adulthood. This needs to be an intentional process, don’t simply “let life happen”. Most children have dreams and plans about what they want to be when they grow up. Sometimes these dreams become reality and sometimes they do not because of inability or lack of financial foundation.

               At some point after reaching adulthood, we make decisions that impact our direction in life, what we are able to achieve, and reveals opportunities of which we may take advantage. A foundational part of all of this is being willing to work hard, take on the next challenge, and not simply being content with the influence and impact of others upon us.

               Be the main influence in your own life, work hard, focus your energy, attention, and finances to making your life the best shape it can be. Every decision you make will direct and influence your life as well as the life of those under your authority. Someday you may have a spouse and children, and these decisions will impact them as well.

               When making decisions as you move through life, seek input from those wiser than you, with more experience than you, and a proven life of success, however you wish to define success. One does not seek out financial advice from someone who is living in a cardboard box in an alley, instead you make the effort to find someone who has financially succeeded in life.

               The other consideration to make is seeking advice from someone who is morally sound, ethically solid, and knows how to love others. The person who is selfish, self-centered, and concerned only with pleasure and comfort is not the best choice for seeking guidance. Find that person that is a good role model, who is loving, kind, ethical, and generous towards others.

               The goal in life ought to be how one can positively influence those in his social circles, positively influence his culture and community, and make life better for everyone with whom he interacts. Don’t merely think of your own comforts, your own pleasure, or your own distractions, be the one who makes all things good. Be the one to whom others come for advice and direction.

Passionate or Not

 

                The idea of passion is often overlooked and ignored. Without realizing it, most people don’t give much thought to what things about which they are passionate. Everyone is passionate about something, and this is easily identified by how they spend their time, how they spend their money, and towards what they direct their thoughts.

               Do you love money, do you love entertainment, do you love your family, do you love food, or do you love empty distraction so you don’t have to think about anything of value? This is an important subject that everyone should consider, as our use of time, our use of money and the use of our energies will speak the truth about what is actually important to us.

               The person who identifies with any particular religion should live a life that is in line with the beliefs of that religion. For the follower of Jesus Christ, attending church, prayer, fasting, and personal sacrifice should be the framework upon which his life is built. The life of the follower of Jesus Christ should look radically different than the average American citizen. The majority of people in the United States are focused on and distracted by sports, movies, music, or entertainment in general.

               A common phrase in the world around us is, “You cannot take it with you.” Putting great effort into being wealthy, being comfortable, and buying material things instead of focusing on being holy and preparing one’s soul for eternity is a grave mistake. To use a simple metaphor, if you have fifteen minutes to spend on making your future as good as possible, will you spend that time by doom scrolling, by watching YouTube videos, or will you put that time toward adding value to your life and the lives of your loved ones.

               To spin this metaphor around, knowing that you will one day pass away, will you spend the unknown amount of time on buying material things, being distracted by silly entertainment, or will you prepare yourself for eternity?

Garbage In, Garbage Out

There are a great number of metaphors that can be used to communicate the concept of what you put in is what you will get out. A good place to start would be with the image of food and the resultant health that follows. If you eat fast food, highly processed foods, sugar, deep fried anything, and cheap beer, you will receive a flaccid, weak body in return.

If you spend your free time filling your head, heart, and soul with social media, pornography, and Hollywood gossip, you will find that your mind will automatically go to those subjects, filling you with nothing of value but empty, foolish, childish content. If you spend your free time watching television and movies, your heart will soon learn to only find value in these things and will be bored with and not drawn to holiness.

 The perfect remedy to not being distracted by these things is to find someone who is holy, who is drawn to that which is good, right, and true, and spending your time with this person so you have a good mentor to imitate. Instead of doom scrolling and randomly flitting about the internet, read the lives of the saints, read the Gospels, read the Epistles, and seek out someone with whom to have godly conversation that fills you with light and truth.

Imagine three glass jars in front of you. One is filled with lemonade, one is filled with urine, and the third is filled with gasoline. All three of these liquids look a great deal alike. If you put one of them in the tank of your car, the car will operate properly. If consume two of these, one of them will kill you, the other will likely make you ill but the third will provide you with dietary value.

Always think of your heart, your soul, and your mind as vessels that are meant to hold that which is good, true, and beautiful, rather than the silly, the foolish, the inane, and empty distraction. Many people put a great effort into remaining physically healthy but they sadly forget to keep their heart and mind healthy. Always question what it is that you are putting into your five senses. Think of your eyes, your ears, your taste, your touch, and your smell as gates that feed your heart, soul, and mind.

Be balanced in your approach to life. Remember to keep your heart, soul, and mind clean and healthy rather than settling for easy distraction. Work hard to keep your mind focused on goodness and truth.

The Pursuit of Excellence

 

                I have often heard it said that one’s performance should never be labeled as “sufficient” or “good enough”. When someone puts in energy, time, and effort into accomplishing something, the end result should be that of excellence and noteworthy of recognition. When we go grocery shopping, in most cases we don’t buy the cheapest item available but instead, I hope, we buy the item that has the best nutritional value and quality.

               Those with whom we choose to spend our time ought to be people that add value to our lives, urge us onto excellence, and challenge us to be better. If someone is part of your life who is negative, is not helping you improve, or is causing you grief, pain, and disappointment, you ought to reconsider with whom you spend your time and energy.

               Everyone has twenty-four hours each day, eight of which are mostly likely spent in sleep, a couple hours of meal preparation and eating, a couple hours in cleaning and organizing our homes and hopefully several hours a day with loved ones. If someone spends the bulk of their waking time immersed in social media, television, or movies, he is settling for “sufficient” or “good enough”.

               How one spends his time and energy at work should never be aimed at “sufficient” or “good enough”. Push yourself, challenge yourself, and aim for the highest bar of which you can conceive. Don’t settle for being just another employee who contributes just enough to not get fired. Be the one with wisdom, with the answers, and be the one to whom people go for help and direction.

               Don’t settle for mediocrity, don’t be content with the low bar set by others, be the one that excels in every field and who challenges others to improve themselves.

Plans for the Future

 

        From the time that someone graduates from high school or from university plans begin to be formed for finding employment and plans for saving, for purchasing a home, getting married, having children, and retirement. It is well understood that each person has only so many years to live, to enjoy life, and to save up until old age overtakes them and they are no longer able to bring in an income. 

There is nothing unreasonable about any of these things. The important point to keep in mind is that everyone eventually dies and will leave the earth in the same state that they entered it. You can take nothing with you into eternity. The reality of a limited existence on earth is something that must be acknowledged. 

One could use a metaphor of travel for one who will eventually die, leaving behind everything that he has acquired in his years on earth. If you don’t prepare for your time traveling, you will find that your destination may be less than you had hoped for. If you transition into eternity without being prepared for what awaits you there, you will find yourself miserable and confused.

From a Christian perspective, if you focus your attention on being holy, on loving your neighbor and doing good to those around you, you will find that your heart and soul are prepared for an eternity in the presence of God. If you have not found holiness to be worth your time to pursue while alive on earth, you will find an eternity in the presence of a holy God unpleasant as well. 

In whatever state you leave your heart and soul, your eternity will be reflection of that neglect or preparation. Be prepared, acquire knowledge, pursue holiness, and look forward to an eternity of holiness and love so that you are not miserable for an unending existence. Like failing to prepare for a marathon, your time running the twenty-six miles will be miserable if you failed to think through the ramifications of your laziness.