Focus

 

            It is an important exercise in self-criticism, introspection, and review of how one spends their time, their money, and what captures their attention. There is nothing more important than loving God, loving your neighbor, and pursuing holiness. If you take a few months to review how you live, how you speak to others, and how you treat others, what will you uncover and learn about yourself?

               If everything in your life is about you, about being comfortable, about being entertained, and regularly going on vacation, then you are being foundationally selfish and are lacking the importance of caring for others, helping others, and improving your community and social circles.

               Choose a portion of time each day to document your life and be willing to be critical of yourself as you ponder how you live. After two or three months of this introspection, force yourself to be honest about how you live, how you spend your time and money, and if you are actually doing anything to make your community and society a better place.

               The concept here is focus, upon what are you focused, upon what do you spend your time and money, and are you helping others rather than being selfish and a lover of pleasure? I would encourage you to honestly assess yourself, and most likely re-focus yourself on being a good and loving person.

Forms of Death

 

I believe that most people would agree that death is unnatural and brings pain for those who have been left behind. Most people have attended a funeral, felt grief at the loss of a friend, and remain behind seeing only the empty space that your friend once filled. If those who remain behind after a loved one has departed into eternity, he or she may realize that this unfortunate cessation of life was the best possible end.

Death comes in many forms, when someone leaves this life to go into eternity, we can look at the quality of life in which they existed and we will come to realize that they were suffering, they felt empty, they existed only in despair and grief. To avoid being selfish, we can look at their life and know that they are now in a better place, are now content and safe, and are no longer suffering.

Physical death is the separation of a loved one from his friends and family. While emotional death or mental death bring a different type of separation. When someone’s mind begins to crumble and drifts into delusion without their understanding of what is happening to them, those around them feel sorry for the person as they are no longer who they formerly were.

Sometimes people will give up, will turn away and will take on a different form of life, leaving behind former loved ones, with only concern for their own selfish preferences. If something like this happens to you, it is wisest to allow this person to continue into their life of selfish pursuits. It will bring no satisfaction to you, to them, or to anyone else if you continue seeking to restore the relationship that was lost.

It Feels Dead

 

If someone is careful and thoughtful about each and every social interaction, relationship, or conversation, he will be able to determine the health of these by reading non-verbals, by catching subtle comments, and noticing how the other person speaks about others. This person should be able to identify if this relationship is alive, beneficial, or productive for them or for the other person.

By watching details, listening to comments, one should be able to accurately label the state of the relationship in front of them. One can apply a label to this relationship by thinking in terms of “does this person provide anything of value” or “this relationship feels dead” or “this person makes me a better person” or “I believe that if I continue in this relationship I can offer help, assistance, and benefit to the other.”

If one is careful and thoughtful about social interaction, he should be able to determine if continuing a relationship with this person is a benefit for himself or for the other. When you interact with someone, you should be able to know if they are willing to hear you, follow your advice, or put in the effort to become a better person. Sadly, we sometimes offer good advice and the recipient of this offer will directly and intentionally reject your comments and offer of help.

Think of social interaction as you would similar to diet, exercise, and sensory input. A wise person will be thoughtful about what they take into themselves, whether it be good food, quality entertainment, good company, or consistent exercise. Be thoughtful, be deliberate, and be consistent in what you take into yourself. Always aim for good quality, excellence, and people of good character.

Doing the Right Thing

 

In some situations, someone will do something unkind, cruel, or selfish to us. Our usual response is to respond in kind, we are inclined to respond with similar unkindness, anger, or violence. The opposite response will usually elicit a confused observation, which should reveal your true nature, if you want someone to be kind to you, then you need to be kind to them and to everyone else in your life.

Some people have great wealth, great comfort, and healthy connections with good people, all of these things can and should be used to make life better for us, for our families, for our loved ones, and for others who we may not know. How we use our time, how we use our money, and how we interact with others reveals the true nature of our hearts, our souls, and our minds.

If everything in your life is about you, is about your comfort, and about making life as easy as possible, then you are probably approaching life in the wrong way. Take a few moments, hours, days or weeks to consider how you live, how you speak, and how you spend your money. Sometimes we will find ourselves in a situation where we see someone merely existing and not having what is needed for a good and healthy life.

Find a notebook, create a list, identify how and where you spend your time and money, and consider what this says about you as a person. Do you buy things that you don’t really need, while there are others you know who are suffering and live a life from which they cannot escape? Set aside your own comforts, your own pleasures, and your empty distraction, doing so will allow you to help others who have genuine needs.

Defining and Articulating Success

 

Everyone knows a large number of people and it is uncommon to find a common definition of success among these people. As we form our thinking, our actions, and our plans for the future, we need to find good, wise, and excellent people to influence, direct us, and guide us as we do our best to move forward in life.

Don’t allow the emptiness, the vanity, and the shallowness of the culture around you to control and direct how you think, how you live, and how you define the words that will directly impact how you move in life. Learn how to put in effort, put in energy, how you spend your money and how you spend your time, all of these will directly impact the quality of your life.

Be aggressive and forthright in how you think, how you act, and how you define words. If you can succinctly define success and learn how to pursue that success for the rest of your life, your intentionality will allow you to achieve your desired goals. Take several hours, days, or weeks to think about how you define success, and when you have specifically articulated this definition, write it down, share it with others who are wise and successful, and then put in the effort to achieve your definition of success.

Success needs to be more than simply being wealthy, being comfortable, and being distracted by empty pleasure and entertainment. Learn to be content with having your basic needs met, learn how to provide for and support others, and learn to be generous to make your culture and your social circles good and strong.

Input and Output

 

            There are many different metaphors that can be used to communicate the outcome from what you put into yourself. Food is a very good example of this, if you eat fast food, highly processed foods, soda, high salt and high fat foods, you will not enjoy a body that is healthy, that is strong, or that will give you the energy you need to successfully reach your desired goals. Your diet should not be based on ease, on simplicity, or on whatever is the least expensive. Pursue and take into yourself that which will give you nutrition, strength, and all of the vitamins, fiber, oils, and quality that will make you healthy.

               If you find yourself spending most of your time being distracted by social media, by mindless and silly entertainment, it would be wise to make positive changes to your mental diet, which will give you the strength you need to achieve your goals. Instead of snacking, doom scrolling, or watching numberless videos online, go outside, enjoy the fresh air, walk for a few miles each day and spend time interacting with people of good character.

               A good pattern to develop for your use of time and energy can be found by documenting how you spend your time, how you spend your money, and with whom you interact. Be diligent in documenting what you do with your time, choose a notebook devoted solely to recording your activities and use of time. Be faithful in what you take into your body in terms of diet, what you take into your mind in terms of entertainment, and what you spend your free time thinking about.

               After documenting these things for at least a month, be strong and brave enough to share your findings with someone who is older, wiser, and more responsible than you, so as to receive input from them. Do not allow pride to control your path forward, instead be willing to make changes in your use of time, in whatever you take into yourself, and be willing to become better, stronger, and wiser than you are at this moment. Humility is one of the best attitudes to take on, it is when you realize that you need to become someone better and wiser than life will improve.

A Path Where Light Doesn't End

 

When someone reaches their teenage years, decisions need to be made and hopefully when one finds themself in this situation, they will seek input from others, knowing that the man who has only himself as a teacher will be bound to make mistakes. Every person moves out of one social circle and into another one, and will find himself in multiple social circles, interacting with many different types of people. Unfortunately, everyone we meet will not necessarily be honest about their response to you, their opinion of you, and will put themselves first rather than offer something of value to help you improve.

When someone is walking in the darkness, he may stumble, he may accidentally drive his toe into a piece of furniture, or he may step on something that remained obscure because of the darkness. There is very little worse than stepping on a Lego while wearing socks or being barefoot. The one who is wise will seek guidance from others, will pursue a path that is well lit, and that will lead to love, peace, joy, and glory.

It is a sad reality that some people will choose to engage in the use of substances that will negatively influence their ability to think clearly and make good choices. In very much the same way, some people will follow input and direction from others who lack wisdom, who lack experience and if one views the quality of their life, one can see that their decisions have only led to failure and confusion.

Find the path that will lead to love, peace, joy, and success. Unless you have immersed yourself in seeking knowledge, seeking wisdom, and seeking experience, don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can figure it out on your own. There have been thousands and thousands of people all throughout history from whom we can learn, who we can imitate, and who create a great example for us to follow.

One does not look to others who have declined into a state of abject failure, poverty, and suffering. Find those who exhibit wise choices, live a good life, and pursue a lifestyle that is not focused on comfort and wealth. Love others like you love yourself.

Pretending Everything is Alright

 

            Social interaction is a normal part of everyday life. We see friends, we see relatives, we see acquaintances and neighbors make decisions that impact themselves and impact others. Sometimes those decisions are made for all the wrong reasons, oftentimes those decisions come from a foundation of selfishness and greed.

               Looking in from the outside, we can see that one of these people look back and regret the choices they have made, and see the consequences of those decisions. Aside from self-deception, those of us who are watching from a distance can see that these people are simply pretending like everything is good, alright, and acceptable.

               There are at least two responses to situations like this, one, we can be critical, we can be judgmental, and we can condemn them for being focused only on their own desires without concern for the impact of their decisions upon others. Two, we can remain silent and watch them decline into despair and regret, knowing that any words we offer will be rejected.

               The imagination is a terrible thing; everyone imagines a possible reality in which all of their problems disappear and are resolved by the promises that someone else made to them. Too many people think of themselves as flawless, wise, and on a path that will lead to happiness and fulfillment. The person who begins down a path toward an imaginary end, will one day realize that they made multiple bad choices, that they burned bridges that cannot be repaired with a goal of satisfying themselves while ignoring others.

A Vessel Void of Value

 

            If someone takes a few minutes and searches through their home, they will find a great number of containers that are designed to hold specific things, and other vessels that you would only use in certain situations and not for storing other things. We see an example of this throughout the Old Testament; some things were designed and identified to be used only for holy use and not for common use.

               The tabernacle that was designed by God and given to the people of Israel to be used during worship and sacrifice could only be used for religious purposes. The ark of the covenant was not even to be touched by human hands and was only for containing the written law, Aaron’s rod that budded, and was topped by two golden angels.

               We have a similar situation in the New Testament regarding the Virgin Mary; YHWH sent the angel Gabriel to communicate the message that she was chosen to be the vessel for bringing about the incarnation of the Son of God. Just like one would not use containers in one’s kitchen for holding unclean items but only for food items.

               I encourage everyone reading this brief collection of thoughts to consider your own life, and what you put in your heart and mind. You need to understand that if you have been baptized into the people of God, you are no longer your own and should only be taking into yourself those things that are holy and will identify you as different from the culture around you.

               Sometimes it is a sad reality that some people will make the decision to label themselves as a follower of Christ, but then live a life that is not holy, pure, or righteous. What kind of vessel are you? Are you filled with and contain only those things that are holy, or do you allow corruption, perversion, and hatred within yourself? Work hard to be faithful to your claims about yourself and be a vessel used only for those things of value.

Our Words and Our Actions

 

            Unfortunately, far too many people only think of themselves when they speak or when they act. The things we say and the things we do will have an impact on those around us. Because we do not know the way others were raised, the way others treated them when they were children, or if others had parents who loved them, we need to remember that those in our social circles did not necessarily have the benefits, the love, and the care from others.

               If you spend all of your time, your energy, and your money only on making your own life more pleasant, you are living a life that is selfish and incorrectly directed. As we are seeing in the news from the UK, the ‘Gang Rape Inquiry’ that was recently published and made available for anyone to read, the psychological, emotional, and physical trauma that these 250,000 white British girls endured for the past seventy years is very difficult to comprehend.

               These decades of abuse are a great example of how someone’s worldview directly impacts the quality of life of those around them. These decades of selfishness and contrary worldview to the West have destroyed the joy and the reality of a good life for a massive number of girls and their families. For someone to be abducted from the street and abused for multiple months by large group of strangers will obviously have a seriously negative impact on their overall wellbeing.

               On a much smaller scale, the words we speak to others and the way we treat others will have an impact upon them, but not to the same degree as what we have recently learned what has been taking place in the UK for so many decades. We all need to consider our goals, our plans, and what we hope to achieve as we move through life. If we are seeking to only please ourselves, find satisfaction for ourselves, at the expense of the wellbeing of others, then we are aligning our lives in a very bad way.

               Destroying the psychology, emotions, and health of someone else just so that we can feed our own pleasures and end goals exposes a terrible way to live one’s life. One could easily say that when someone introduces a destructive approach to life that is contrary to the normal life of the culture in which you live, he ought not be part of that culture and should relocate himself somewhere else that is in agreement with his preferred approach to life.

Only in Nightmares

            All of us live and move through multiple social circles and it is a rare instance that everyone in these social circles is a pleasure to be with and interact with. Regardless of the social circle, we occasionally will meet someone, interact with someone, and while we watch them act and speak, and sometimes we wonder ‘how are they able to be successful in any manner when they are borderline mentally handicapped’.

               People will say and do things without giving much depth of thought to their actions or words. Sadly, too many people don’t reflect on what they’ve spoken or done, while we may replay the conversation over and over in our memory long after the interaction was complete. Often these are palm to face moments, where we are left dumbfounded with what someone else said or did. Unfortunately, we will think of a better response, minutes or hours later and wish that we could go back in time and respond appropriately.

               Those with whom we interact are very much like the food we eat, the money we spend, and whatever we choose to entertain us. If you desire to be strong and healthy, you will avoid fast food, processed foods, and empty calories. A better alternative would be to eat high quality food, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and homemade bread products. In addition to this you should be getting some exercise each day to be in control of your body.

               When we associate with shallow, empty-headed, and low culture people, we will be influenced by them. On the contrary, it is much better to find those who are older, wiser, and have more experience than we do, and make an effort to draw them into our lives to be a positive influence upon us. When wisdom, high culture, and excellence become our goals in life, we will be better, stronger, wiser and have the opportunity to positively influence those around us.

               To make good progress in becoming an excellent person, you should study history and find those in the past who made good decisions to be a light to those around them. These people will be focused on loving others, rather than entertaining themselves with childish whims or games. The person who refuses to be controlled and directed by worldly passions will be the one who makes a positive influence on their culture. A common phrase or idea is that silence is better than noise and gossip. Be the wise person that others will seek out for direction and assistance as they move through life.

Nothing Left to Say

 

            Everyone knows a wide variety of people in many different situations, with different types of relationships. If you are wise and attentive to the reality of how some people think and behave, you will be careful in what you are willing to share and discuss. Betrayal comes in many different forms; some will squeeze information and details from you in order to use this information to try to control you or ruin how others view you.

               You may think that you know someone, after having interacted with them for many years but then later learn that this specific person has been speaking poorly of you, criticizing you to others, and has been planning for a long time to destroy your name and reputation. With this in mind, be careful about what you share and what you reveal.

               It gives one a good feeling to believe that you can know and trust someone but then when everything falls apart and the long-lasting deception is finally revealed, you are left with anger, frustration, and disbelief. When those you love and who you believe loved you turn against you and begin speaking deception, you must make a decision on how you respond.

               You can respond with anger and give a reciprocal response of seeking to reveal their deception or you can respond with love and not allow this other person to win the small battle they have begun against you. As the historic Christian Church has always taught, no matter what others do or say about you, you are to respond with love and not anger or revenge.

               When you respond with love, you will find that the other person will be left with nothing to say or they may invent other deception to continue to try to destroy your image. Let your words and your actions tell the truth about you rather than what someone else is inventing in their imagination. When everyone else hears your words, and sees your actions they will hopefully come to understand that you are not shaped like what the person has invented.

Peace Rather Than Passion

 

            Everyone lives a different life with different interests and with different ideas about right, wrong, and how to treat others. Every person has different influences in their life, have different childhoods, different parents who may or may not have spanked them for their bad behavior. Some children were bullied as they grew up, some children were bullies when they grew up, some children chose the path of being kind to others, and some children chose the path of rebellion and violence.

               All of these things form a person into who they are today. Everyone has different levels of stress in their lives based on what they do for work, with whom they associate, and how they interact with their spouse, if they have one. Most people prefer to have less stress, less opposition, and less animosity from others. If you take a survey with questions built on one’s preference for peace or strife, in most cases people will prefer to have peace in their lives.

               Unless someone is retired, he or she will go to work, or will stay at home and take care of their children, organize their home and deal with the everyday stress of normal life. In most cases it is unavoidable to not have stressful interaction with co-workers, with spam callers, or with random people approaching our front door to share something they believe to be important.

               Life is better for you, for others, and for everyone involved if peace is the foundation in every interaction. When each person only focuses on their passions, their desires for themselves, and being entertained and distracted, the surrounding culture becomes nothing but an exercise in selfishness. In short, seek after peace, seek after doing good for others, and focus on being a good and kind person rather than being selfish.

It's All About Love

 

                If a person is honest with themselves, they should be able to review their life, their interests, how they spend their money, and how they spend their time. An honest review of these things will reveal what we love, what we find important, and what is the focus of our attention. Yes, it is true that we have needs that need to be taken care of, loved ones that need our assistance, and the reality of philanthropy.

               As we see in Holy Scripture, the follower of Christ is called to love God, love his neighbor, and pursue holiness. Is this what we find when we honestly examine and critique our lives, our time, and our use of money? I offer up the challenge to document how you spend your time, how you spend your money, and what you use to entertain yourself. If you are spending more time on social media, on television, or on entertainment in general than you do in worship, in prayer, or in reading Scripture, then you have something terribly misaligned in your life.

               The foundational question in all of this is, “What do you love?” This is easily answered by documenting time, attention, and money. An even better way to approach this question is to bring someone else into the discussion and allow them to draw the conclusion and answer. Another important aspect of this discussion is that of humility, if you are willing to allow someone else to critique your use of time, money, and attention, you will need to be humble and be willing to accept direction and guidance from someone wiser and more experienced than you.

Rejecting Grief

 

            If you have something or someone in your life that is actively moving you away from beauty, away from holiness, and away from personal sacrifice, why would you continue to wallow in grief at their departure? Because we as humans are very limited in our perspective, in our understanding, and in wisdom, we cannot see the long-term goal that God has in place for us. Sometimes things or people will depart, which over a long period of time will prove to be to our benefit.

               Like the athlete who only sees the pain, the discomfort and the struggle of overcoming weight loss, overcoming weakness, and feeling frustration at not making fast enough progress, we need to remember that what is happening at the moment is for our good, for our benefit, and is moving toward a better goal than we can have ever imagined.

               If we can learn to step outside of ourselves, and look at the details from a different perspective, it is wise to gain wisdom and understanding from others who have more experience, more knowledge, and greater wisdom that we do. We need to learn to not see only what we desire and learn to see the change in path, in direction, and the new goal which will make us a better and stronger person.

               This is a matter of humility and acknowledging what we lack. Be very careful from whom you take and follow advice, there are many people who consider themselves wise and experienced, if these people are not helping you move toward goodness, kindness, love, holiness, and concern for others, then you need to step away from them, and find someone who is genuinely wise and experienced.

               Prepare yourself to reject the grief that follows from the loss of someone who you believed to be helping you. To continue to wallow in grief over the loss of someone who has been dragging you down, corrupting you, and feeding your weakness is a foolish position to take. Instead embrace the joy of moving on to something bigger and better, knowing that God is bringing about what is for your benefit.

Intentional Deception

 

            There are at least two versions of ourselves, one of these we put on display for others to see, the other one we keep hidden within ourselves because we are often ashamed of that second version. Most people want others to think well of them, want others to think that everything is going well, and that we are stable, loving, kind, and considerate, rather than self-centered and selfish. With this in mind, we present the best version of ourselves to keep everyone thinking that we have everything together and our lives are in good shape.

               We encounter many different types of people as we move through different social circles, different places of work, and our interaction with our relatives. Thankfully, we often keep our hidden desires from expressing themselves in reality, we do this in order not to get arrested for reacting to how some people treat us. To put it in the simplest of terms, we intentionally deceive others so they think well of us, think highly of us, and do not think poorly of us because of our honest response to unkind words or unkind actions toward us.

               This is where the importance of prayer is vital for our wellbeing. When criminal or abusive ideas drop into our minds, we need to immediately drive away this corruption away from us as quickly as possible. We do this by calling out to God through the intercession of Jesus Christ on our behalf, through the prayers of our guardian angels, and the prayers of others. It is a dangerous thing to dwell on corruption, to dwell on cruelty, or to allow wickedness to seep into us, all of which draws us away from beauty, from light, from love, and from kindness to others.

               Instead of thoughts of hostility, instead of unkind or cruel actions against those who intentionally oppress us, the best response is prayer for this person that they would move away from a life of corruption, away from a life of blind selfishness, and away from perversion and idolatry. Our prayers, our words, and our actions are all tools for positively influencing those around us.

               Do not allow the thoughts, the ideas, and the suggestions of cruelty from the evil ones that surround us move us to impose ugliness or sin toward others. Reject thoughts of evil and instead respond with love, with kindness, and with actions that move others toward that which is good, is right, is beautiful, and is kind.

Will It Be Seen as Beautiful?

 

            The most common response when someone reviews and critiques their own life, their life choices, and their interaction with others typically tends toward forgiveness of self and harsh words and attitude toward others. Historically, the Church has taught that we must be more critical of ourselves and not critical of others. We need to think of others as holier than ourselves, for we know our own weaknesses and we do not know what formed others into who they are today.

               It is a sad reality that others will speak well of us at our funeral, after we have already left behind those we love and possibly departing for eternity before we have completed what we desired to do before we pass into eternity. The Church has always taught us that God gives us every day to repent, to confess, and to strive after holiness and that we must not waste that time in pursuit of pleasure and passions.

               I strongly recommend that you spend a few minutes each day documenting what you have accomplished, how you have positively impacted others, and if you are genuinely on a path toward holiness. Over the last twenty centuries of Christian history, we have learned from holy men and holy women that we do not know how much time we have before we are taken into the presence of God.

               One day we will stand before the dread judgment seat of Christ and will need to answer for everything we did and did not do. Did you spend your time, your energy, and your money on promoting holiness, pursuing righteousness, and pursuing truth? After you have reposed, will others look back on your life and see beauty, see truth, see holiness, and see love? Do you see Jesus in every person that you meet?

               What will others say about you after you have moved into eternity? Were you a good person, did you pursue holiness, did you love and provide for others or were you self-centered, selfish, and a lover of pleasure? After you have begun documenting how you have spent your time, your energy, and your money, do you need to make a change in your life path? If so, start with that change immediately because you do not know if today is your last day.

The Parts That Are Ignored

 

                Most people spend their time distracting themselves from things uncomfortable, from things awkward, and from interacting with strangers. At the same time, we do not know what is taking place in someone’s mind, in someone’s heart, and in the secret lives of others. In many cases, people don’t want to be a burden on others and will wear a mask that shows happiness, contentment, and satisfaction with one’s current life situation.

               The cold, the sad, the miserable, and the shriveled soul desires to remain hidden and unknown to others. Frequently when someone comes into a room, they want to be the center of attention, the one that people enjoy interacting with, and the one who tells the good stories, and the funny jokes. Every person wants to be seen as the friendly, the loving, and the attractive one that draws everyone’s attention and preference for interaction.

               Are you the one to whom people go for encouragement, for energy, and for wisdom? If you are, do you have someone from whom you can gain these things when you are in need? Each person has only so much strength, so much wisdom and so much energy to share, eventually these things will deplete, will run out, and will leave you feeling empty when you give it all away to others. If you drain yourself, you will be miserable, you will be lonely and there is a good chance that when that happens, you will have nothing left to keep yourself going.

               When we meet someone, sometimes that person will communicate their miserable state by their words, the look in their eyes and their actions. Don’t be the only one giving, be the one who gives, encourages, and supports but also find someone from whom you can be strengthened and encouraged, so that you are not left empty and alone.

               In most cases, people need input, need love, need interaction, and have a passion for peace. There are a few people out there who are crushed by the oppression of social interaction, the drain of putting out too much, and find that solitude creates a setting for them to find peace, find happiness, and find joy, without having to consistently push back against others who only want to drain them so as to build themselves up.

               Do not feel guilty if you need quiet time, if you need solitude, and you need peace rather than pretending to enjoy social interaction and wearing a fake mask so that others think that everything is good with you. Don’t be the one who only puts out, who always depletes yourself so that others can be built up and encouraged. Find someone to help you so that you can be genuine with who you truly are.

               Honesty is always better because deception against yourself and against others does no one any good. Identify your weaknesses, find someone who can help you grow, who can help you overcome those things that are corrupting and polluting your life, so that you can grow, be strong, and become a better person.

Secrets You Don't Know

 

                Everyone has weaknesses, has faults, is self-centered and egotistical, with this sort of mind in place that controls us, we will tend to judge others who are different from us, we look upon the sins and faults of others and condemn them for their bad choices. At the same time, we fail to see our own weaknesses, our own faults, our own downfalls, and the offenses we commit in the sight of God, forgetting that our sins are our responsibility. The sins that others embrace and practice are none of our business, unless this person asks for our input, guidance, or thoughts.

               The first error we make when we look upon others, when we judge others, and when we condemn others, we forget that each person had a childhood, had interaction with others, and often times suffered under the hands of someone who was supposed to care for them. If you enjoyed a childhood free of abuse, free of neglect, and filled with love and protection, you need to remember that not everyone enjoyed that kind of love and safety.

               When we see someone else acting, speaking, or thinking in a certain way, we need to remember that they are thinking, speaking, and acting in this way because of how they were formed, how they were raised, and how others spoke to them while they transitioned through childhood and into adulthood. It should be common sense to understand that those with whom we interact will not share the secrets, the abuses, and the torments they endured as a child.

               The metaphor of art can be used to understand why someone is the way they are, why they think, speak, and act the way they do. If someone gives you a lump of clay and instructs you to make something out of it, it is your responsibility to make something, hopefully something beautiful. If you are ignorant, mean spirited, and uncultured, your creation will likely not be beautiful. The fruit of your work will be a reflection of the state of your heart, soul, and mind.

               If you meet someone, or interact with someone who is socially inept, who seems incapable of expressing love and kindness, then it is very likely that you may be the one person who can love them, help them, and draw them toward that which is good, right, and beautiful. If everything they experienced in their childhood was abuse, unkindness and neglect, do your best to be a display of love and kindness so that they can become a different and better person.

               Historically, the Church has communicated that every person that we meet is an image of Jesus Christ, therefore we need to see them, help them, direct them, and love them. Every person is made in the image of God and deserves to be loved, deserves to be protected, and deserves kind words regardless of how difficult it may be to give kindness and love in the face of anger, disdain, and hatred. The Christian faith is summarized with two simple phrases: love God and love your neighbor. If you cannot love your neighbor, then you cannot love God.

               Ask yourself a simple question, how do you want others to treat you? Do you want disdain, anger, and unkindness poured out upon you. Most people have the tendency to downplay their own sins, downplay their own weaknesses, and are quick to judge and condemn others for their sins. Be the person in someone else’s life who will encourage them, who will build them up, and will draw them toward holiness and a change of life toward something good and beautiful.

Surrounded

                Historically speaking, the historic Christian Church speaks about being surrounded in two ways. First, as is mentioned in Holy Scripture, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. This is referring to everyone who is part of the people of God, either physically alive or reposed. This concept is clearly seen in the use of icons in the Church for the last twenty centuries. Acknowledging and using icons in the Church services and in prayer communicates the truth that those who have physically reposed are still part of the one, true, holy, apostolic Church.

               Second, all of mankind is constantly surrounded by angelic powers and by demonic powers. The angelic powers are present to protect us, guard us, and drive away the attacks of the evil ones. When a man sins, he is creating a barrier between himself and the angelic powers. Sin is something that goodness, holiness, and purity cannot stand to see or face. The idea that sin is contrary to life, contrary to holiness, and contrary to pursing the path of that which is good, right, and true needs to be kept in the forefront of one’s mind.

               Even now as you are reading this, you are surrounded by the people of God, either physically alive or physically reposed. You are also surrounded by angelic powers who are seeking to protect you and guard you from the attacks of evil. You are also surrounded by demonic powers who will use every opportunity to corrupt you and drive you toward wicked behavior, wicked thoughts, and wicked words.

               Think of your mind like a funnel, into which demonic powers will try to cast ugly, sinful, and corrupt thoughts in an effort to keep you away from holiness, to keep you away from developing a loving relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Do not allow anyone or anything to move you away from holiness, move you away from love and move you toward that which is ugly, perverse, and corrupt.

               Life is a constant battle, a constant war, and unending temptation to do what is contrary to human life. Man was not made to sin, made was made to love God, to love his neighbor, and to do good to those around him. Think of sin like you think of fast food, it provides nothing of value for you, for those around you, or any benefit for you in the long term. Yes, the desire to do something may sound appealing in the moment, but the long-term impact of doing something morally wrong will drive you further away from the Holy Trinity, creating a barrier and a distance between you and our Savior.