Dan Brooks's Blog, page 13
December 9, 2014
The Gospel Of Inclusion
Jesus said that all the law and all the prophets hang on the two greatest commandments to basically love God and all His children. He also said this: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35
He also taught us to love our enemies and pray for those that curse us. He taught that we should love our neighbor. This includes our Muslim neighbor, our Jewish neighbor, our gay neighbor, our republican neighbor, our liberal neighbor, our Hispanic neighbor and addict neighbor.
The Gospel message is one of love and acceptance and nessecitates inclusion because exclusion breeds contempt.
The commandment to love one another as Christ did is something too many would be disciples find exceptions for just as they find exceptions for loving thy enemy. Jesus provides no exceptions Himself it is only His "followers" who do.
How can one truly preach Christs Gospel if they exclude people? Christ excluded no one, He preached and healed sinners of every kind, He ministered to all He met. The poor, the lame, the Roman soldier and the Canaanite woman.
Even the Canaanite woman Jesus at first rebuffed but after her persistence He granted her request. His disciples were tax collectors, fishermen and zealots. He had sinners even among His apostles.
But it is as Paul wrote: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory." Romans 3:23
And Jesus responded this way when asked why He ministered to the sinners that the Pharisees amongst Him shunned and shamed: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32
Remember when Jesus said "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" and humbled the angry mob and even the Pharisees had nothing to say?
That's because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Only Christ could have thrown a stone yet He did not. Because her sin deserved His compassion not His contempt and if Christ were to shun sinners He would have had nothing to do with any of us since we all sin in some way.
The ministry of Jesus was shameless and scandalous because He was so inclusive.
This was scandalous to the Pharisees because for a people who had been immersed in the approach that salvation was only for the Israelites, and that that nation alone were the sole recipients of divine blessings, the message of Jesus seemed purely confusing. Jesus proved this mentality of, only "us" being saved and all others(them) shall burn, wrong. That was His inclusionary scandal.
Jesus preached His message of inclusion versus exclusion in many parables but my favorite is the laborers in the vineyard.
20 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus is saying as long as we eventually find salvation in His message we shall reap its reward. Salvation in Jesus' kingdom is available to all not just a few. Though few may truly find it. Those who society deems best or furst shall be last yet those deemed worst or last shall be first. It was true in His day and it is still true in our own. But it doesn't have to stay true in our future.
December 8, 2014
Where Your Treasure Is
There is a theory that what's behind most cases of divorce is an issue bigger than financial woes or infidelity. An issue that boils down to how much we invest in our spouse and in our marriage.
If the husband is not investing as equally as his wife is in their marriage then problems like infidelity and money management crop up.
The idea is that what we invest in most directly translates into what we most care about.
So if we put our marriage first, if we invest equally then we will build a marriage we treasure.
Jesus teaches us that where our treasure is our heart will be also. We must treasure not only our spouse but our marriage as well. More than being husband and wife we are a team first and foremost.
My wife gave up who she was, she sacrificed what little money she had, she sacrificed her time when she was overwhelmed everyday for the sake of being a good wife and mother. Her ex husband spent $50 a day on lunch for him and his girlfriends. And spent money on fishing gear for himself and refused to buy his children coats, boots and other such winter clothing. Eventually it took its toll on my wife.
It took years for her to heal after having been used and abused. She knows now that her ex never was even capable of sacrificing for his children or his then wife.
The biggest reason that marriage failed is the her ex husband never invested in his marriage or in his children.
It took years for the uneven level of investment to destroy the marriage but it did.
I have invested fully in my marriage, in my wife and in my stepchildren. And my wife has too which is why our marriage and family is as healthy and happy as it is.
If you invest fully into your work you will grow to love that. If you invest in your house or your car that's what you will grow to love.
People were made to be loved. Things were made to be used. But the reason the world is as it is is because things are being loved and people are being used.
It's not always a matter of people not caring as much as having the wrong priorities. But wrong priorities translate to the wrong investments. Which then results in love misdirected.
Invest in marriage, invest in family and invest in friends. Relationships make life worth living. Invest in loving God and all His children as Christ loved us.
December 6, 2014
Transformed By The Light
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Carl Jung
We must do more than simply find Jesus, we must meet Him. If we do we will be transformed by our meeting just as we will transform those we meet after.
Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God with all your strength and all your mind and the second is like it which is to love our neighbor as ourselves. He also said all the law and all the prophets hang on those two commandments. He also taught us to love our enemies.
Jesus also prayed for the forgiveness of His executioners.
That kind of love has transformed billions of lives over the last 20 centuries. And it continues to transform so many more today.
Jesus transforms us through His love and the resulting Christlike character is to me what salvation is really about. Salvation is not a far off destination but it is a state of being. It's responding to vile hatred with unconditional love and spreading that salvation to our enemies.
"I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends." Abraham Lincoln
This tactic does not work every time but it does work even when all hope seems lost just ask Gandhi. He was able to spawn a revolution against Britian successfully without violence. And even if we lose in peace is that not better than winning in hate or war?
Jesus saved an adulteress by saying "He who is without sin may cast the first stone." Then He refused to condemn her but instead He simply said Go and sin no more. He offered her love, understanding and compassion and forgiveness instead of scorn or condemnation. He was the only one in that group who could have cast a stone yet He did not. Why was that? Who are we to cast stones in light of that?
Jesus transformed the lives of everyone He met with His compassion and understanding. He didn't just preach the message He was the message. Because he lived the message His teachings weild much power even two thousand years later.
Being transformed by Christ's love, His example and His message means that even when the world is falling down around us we are at peace, it means we forgive our own murderers, we forgive and we love and we understand the hatred or weaknesses of others and rather than amplify the gate we respond with love. Rather than amplify the weaknesses of others we mitigate them with compassion and understanding.
If we come to meet Jesus and feel His spirit from within we become transformed ad Dr.King or Gandhi did and we can make as much of an impact as did they.
Salvation isn't just a destination, it's a way of life and it's what happens to us and those around us when we allow ourselves to be transformed by Christ.
December 4, 2014
Choice Of Compassion
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The question is which wolf wins?
The one you feed.
Because this struggle that exists within us all depends upon our choices. Do we choose to allow the hardships and struggles we all face harden our hearts and lead to us becoming more and more fearful and angry at the world and all those in it? Or do we allow ourselves to become more compassionate, understanding and forgiving and therefore more Christlike?
The choice in how we act and react is ours alone, it cannot be put on anyone or anything else.
We can be wronged, slandered, and abused but how we react is indicative of who we really are. True peace is not being free of drama and chaos; it is being at peace in the midst of it all.
Jesus embued forgiveness and compassion when He saved the life of an adulteress when He said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." He said to her only "Go and sin no more." There was no condemnation. There was only compassion and understanding.
Jesus again exemplified compassion, understanding and forgiveness when He prayed to God that those who crucified Him be forgiven "for they know not what they do."
How many of us have it in us to be that forgiving, compassionate and understanding.
"37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke 23:37
Jesus was still saving souls even when hanging on His cross.
How many of us have it in them to see beyond our own pain and help others in such a dire situation.
These stories show us perfect examples of how we should treat ourselves and others in this life and the next.
This is the gospel message; to love God and all His children. The gospel is not meant to be recited as much as it is meant to be lived. And these stories from scripture show us where the watermark is.
Whether or not we reach it is a choice that is ours alone.
December 1, 2014
Hate Is Too Great A Burden
But hate is too great a burden to bear. It's healthier to let it go. Instead I will move on with my life after the dust settles by living my life as I always have with the honor and integrity I was raised with.
We have all been wronged in many ways from small issues to life changing issues and it's natural to want justice but all too often we go further. We go to vengeance and demand infinite punishment for a relatively limited sin. It goes against our instincts to let our aggressors off the hook.
The thing is that by letting them go we also let ourselves move on rather than dwell on it and allow our hate to fester within us and ultimately destroy us.
Revenge is amongst other things, a control tactic. It's how we try to gain control over a situation we had no control over anyway. We only have control over ourselves, we only ever have.
Revenge is like breaking something in retaliation for something of yours being broken, in the end you only have broken stuff. You are no richer.
It also reminds me of war. If neither side surrenders then all that happens is one man becomes the ruler of a graveyard. Because that's all that's left after a long war.
My point is that after the chaos, after the bloodshed, after revenge has been had all that has been created is destruction and we have to live with the consequences of our actions spawned by our lust for revenge.
And that is too great a burden to bear for any of us.
Love is the better option. It is the healthiest option though it is often the most difficult option there ever is.
The dividens of love are always worthwhile. Christ could have demanded and received His justice for being beaten and crucified but instead He prayed to God for their forgiveness.
We may not always succeed in winning the affections of others. But we can avoid the losses created by hate and vengeance.
Forgiveness isn't always about freeing our aggressors, it's also about freeing ourselves from the burdens of hate. The only way we can ever be free is to free ourselves. No one else can do it for us.
November 28, 2014
Authority
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" Acts 10:34
Based on scripture God is no respecter of persons meaning rich or poor, Prince or pauper you stand on equal ground in the eyes of The Lord.
Studies have been done as to what makes certain companies more successful than others and some results indicate that accountability plays a key role in that any employee can address concerns to any other regardless of rank or status.
Being no respecters of persons ourselves and holding ourselves to the same standard by which we hold others does wonders for us and our government, company and even church.
The Church is defined in The Bible as the body of members not the leaders alone. And in the early church when Peter and Paul wrote their epistles the view of church leaders was the same as the American government in its own infancy.
The idea was that the leaders are there to serve the people, or the body of members, not the other way around. We ought not answer to them above the standard that they are answerable to us. We are all members so we ought to be equal in accountability. We would be all the better for being no respecter of persons.
Having authority is no excuse for leveling inequality or being above criticism. One should not be labeled a Judas for having questions, even hard questions.
We would do better to listen to what God has said in scripture. Many would add what the Prophet's have said but only a revelation is the word of God. The Prophet's every utterance, however inspired, is not the same as the word of God Himself as in a revelation.
Most of the time, the rare few times I hear about Christ in church it is always about His authority not His teachings. But it was by living His teachings that He had the authority. Jesus lived the law to a degree never duplicated since His time.
Jesus said this about the commandments and Prophets:
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40
And here is the one commandment Jesus gave us:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:34-35
Any commandment or teaching or creed or law we follow must first be in harmony with the love of God and all His children.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Where there is authority we must be on gaurd against its abuse.
Raising concerns does not equate to a witch hunt. It's not about asking questions but it is about the manner in which we question that makes the difference.
Authority is not a birthright. Without truly living the teachings of Christ any authority attributed to Him has no power or validation.
When we are taught by anyone, me included, prayer and thought ought to go into processing the ideas of others. We must follow the promptings of the spirit instead of engaging in blind obedience or hero worship.
Because the only person worthy of worship is Christ.
November 25, 2014
Teachers All Around Us
Later, Joseph bolstered this sentiment with this statement, “We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316).
We ought to seek truth where it is to be found; all around us.
I learned why it is important to be selfless from selfish parents. I learned how to be a step dad from one of the two I had.
Though that man and my own father are both alcoholics they did teach me plenty about how to be a good parent and a good man. Despite their flaws and sometimes because of them.
I learned to be compassionate to the homeless because many are vets and most are mentally ill. I learned this because my dad is a schizophrenic veteran.
I learned how abused children feel because I was own of them. It helped me help others.
But the most helpful example for me, for all of us, has been Christ's example.
He saved an adulteress from being stoned to death, He healed lepers no one else would touch or talk to, He spent most of His ministry caring for, loving and teaching the outcasts of His society.
He changed the world forever one blind man, one leper and one adulteress at a time.
He is the one who asked us to give no less of ourselves than He was willing to give of Himself.
We can learn by the examples of others. No one is perfect and even the best amongst us have our failings. But that is not to say we cannot learn from imperfect people.
Everyone teaches us something. The question is what will we choose to learn?
November 24, 2014
Is There Only One Truth?
All of us have been guilty of that to one extent or another. But to open up to truth however uncomfortable must be a goal if we are ever to come to the truth let alone to understand it.
When people ask if you have found jesus or if you believe Jesus they typically mean have you accepted His authority or their authority as coming from Him. Those people don't put much emphasis on believing in and living His teachings. Living those teachings are what I think bring the real salvation.
Jesus teaching us to love others as He loved us, even our enemies, is viewed by most of His followers with all manner of exceptions. Exceptions that Jesus Himself never authorized.
Christians cannot lay sole claim on acts of selfless compassion, on understanding, forgiveness and unconditional love. But if one claims to be Christian those qualities must be lived that is after all the mission statement for all who claim discipleship of Christ.
Jesus defined how people would be known as His disciples:
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35
There is more than one path to truth just as there is more than one way to be loving, understanding and forgiving. Just because others don't do things the way we do does not make them wrong.
Life is not a one size fits all experience.
Each of our lives could have taken alternate paths. But those paths may still have led us to the same understandings.
There is truth all around us and no one has ownership of it except God. We can find those truths in a myriad of ways. As long as we find them that's all that really matters and the only person we can truly convince is ourselves.
Love is the mission statement of every Christian and we are supposed to live it not just know it. Historically accurate truths change with time but the higher truth of love remains eternal.
November 19, 2014
Journey To Heaven
Life is about tragedy as much as triumph, it's about failure and redemption. We cannot truly succeed unless we risk failure. We cannot truly find salvation unless we risk damnation.
It's about more than learning to avoid temptation. I think it's about falling into temptation and pulling yourself up out of it. Redemption is possibly the most admirable human quality.
If I hadn't been a soldier and lost friends in the wars I'm not sure I would have embraced nonviolent resistance so whole heartedly.
My journey brought me much heartache and many life changing blessings. But every twist and turn of my life shaped me into who I am today, and so even though I regret much, I wouldn't change anything because that might have changed me as a result and maybe not for the better.
The death of several friends, the onset of my mental illness, my marriage and my step kids, have all made an imprint on me. They taught me about those in my life for better and worse or they have taught me about my strengths and weaknesses and even how to improve myself.
The scriptures are full of stories about the journey of prophets and patriarchs, sinners and saints and it's always in the journey that they found meaning and us in return.
The journey of Paul is significant to me because he went from hating the early Christian movement and killing the first Christian martyr Stephen to a man who became the most influential missionary in history and writing 2/3 of the New Testament and dying as a Christian martyr himself.
This changed happened in response to Christ meeting Paul, on the road to Damascus hot on the trail of the first Christians, and asking Paul "Why are you persecuting me?"
Paul had a change of heart and though he sinned greatly he repented and went on to sin no more. His journey was necessary to put him on the best path.
But the path is what we make of it. Fate will bring things into your life but your choices keep them there or remove them. But it's in the journey that we find meaning. It's in the journey that we find ourselves. And it's in the journey that we find our salvation.
The goal isn't just to return to heaven is about living a life worth living. It's about making the journey worth it despite the tragedies because we may redeem ourselves in triumph.
It is by living the teachings of Christ through our journey's that we find salvation and bliss. That is the key to the gates of Heaven.
Dharma Bums
"In Hinduism, dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with rta , the order that makes life and universe possible,[10][note 1] and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and ‘‘right way of living’’.[7] In Buddhismdharma means "cosmic law and order",[10] but is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha.[10] In Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for "phenomena".[11][note 2] In Jainism dharma refers to the teachings of the Jinas [10] and the body of doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For Sikhs, the word dharm means the "path of righteousness."
So even though there are nuances and even large differences in meaning between each faith traditions that have used the word dharma since the ancient Vedic tradition that spawned Hinduism then Buddhism and so on, there seems to be an underlying idea that dharma is being in harmony with the ultimate reality or guiding force.
Rock Waterman has said that he sees the Buddhist term of right action to translate as righteousness in our tradition. And that right action is dharma. The Jains referring to the path of righteousness as their view of dharma backs that take up I think.
Some people say that dejavu is the universe sending you a sign that you're on the right track or in harmony with whatever's been planned for you.
I like the idea but I'm not so sure about it. Others say you cannot fight your fate but I disagree. People and events that are fated may enter your live but you can still say no to them. You can choose to keep them or wash your hands of them. It's up to you. Your life is the product of your choices.
Fate may bring things into our lives but we choose how to respond to them.
I believe I am supposed to be with my wife. But I was so scared when we first started dating that I broke up with her, twice. And through all my antics and my hospitalization she has stood by me. She says she has felt we were meant for each other as well which is why she puts up with me.
I wasn't prepared to be a husband and stepdad and I was scared but it was in the journey that I became ready for it.
My wife was supposed to come into my life but it was our choices that decided the outcome. Sometimes we make choices and sometimes choices make us.
Dharma also reminds me of what Buddha taught here: "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."
Our lives are ultimately the result of our thoughts. What we think pushes us one way or the other. I think Christ touched on this when He said: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
The contents of our hearts are what makes us a sinner or a saint.
We cannot change who we have been or even who we are but we can change who we become. We can change that based on which side of ourselves we nourish, the good or the bad.
What we do is largely based on what we say and what we say is based on what we think.
Saul of Tarsus thought that Christians were the enemy of the Judea 2,000 years ago. He was so certain of it he was partially responsible for the death of the first Christian martyr Stephen.
But in pursuit of the early Christian movement he met Christ and changed his name to Paul and became one of the most influential missionaries in history and he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament.
Any of us can change and often people with the ugliest pasts create the most beautiful futures.
The problem is that we think we have the time. We can never truly know how much time we have.
But in terms of how our thoughts creat our futures since I deal with mental illness there are what's called thinking errors that I am often guilty of. Here are some examples that I think many of us may be guilty of: 1. Black-and-white thinking
When you’re thinking in black-and-white, you see everything in terms of being either good or bad with nothing in between. For example: either you’re great, or you’re a loser; If you don’t look like a model, you must be ugly; if you do something wrong, then you are completely bad.
The challenge: Look for shades of grayIt’s important to avoid thinking about things in terms of extremes. Most things aren’t black-and-white, but somewhere in-between. Just because something isn’t completely perfect doesn’t mean that it’s a total disaster.
Ask yourself:
Is it really so bad, or am I seeing things in black-and-white?How else can I think about the situation?Am I taking an extreme view?2. Unreal ideal
Another common thinking error is to make unfair comparisons between certain individuals and yourself. When you do this, you compare yourself with people who have a specific advantage in some area. Making unfair comparisons can leave you feeling inadequate.
The challenge: Stop making unfair comparisonsAsk yourself:
Am I comparing myself with people who have a particular advantage?Am I making fair comparisons?3. Filtering
When you filter, first you hone in on the negative aspects of your situation. Then you ignore or dismiss all the positive aspects.
The challenge: Consider the whole pictureAsk yourself:
Am I looking at the negatives, while ignoring the positives?Is there a more balanced way to look at this situation?4. Personalizing: The self-blame game
When you personalize, you blame yourself for anything that goes wrong, even when it’s not your fault or responsibility.
The challenge: Find all the causesAsk yourself:
Am I really to blame? Is this all about me?What other explanations might there be for this situation?5. Mind-reading
We often think we know what other people are thinking. We assume that others are focused on our faults and weaknesses—but this is often wrong! Remember: your worst critic is probably you.
The challenge: Don’t assume you know what others are thinkingAsk yourself:
What is the evidence? How do I know what other people are thinking?Just because I assume something, does that mean I’m right?6. Exaggerating
When things go wrong, you might have a tendency to exaggerate the consequences and imagine that the results will be disastrous.
The challenge: Put it in perspectiveAsk yourself:
What’s the worst that can happen?What’s the best that can happen?What’s most likely to happen?Will this matter in five years?Is there anything good about the situation?Is there any way to fix the situation?7. Over-generalizing
Over-generalizing is a lot like exaggeration. When you over-generalize, you exaggerate the frequency of negative things in your life, like mistakes, disapproval and failures. Typically you might think to yourself: I always make mistakes, or everyone thinks I’m stupid.
The challenge: Be specificAsk yourself:
Am I over-generalizing?What are the facts? What are my interpretations?8. Fact versus feeling
Sometimes you might confuse your thoughts or feelings with reality. You might assume that your perceptions are correct.
The challenge: Stick to the factsAsk yourself:
Am I confusing my feelings with the facts? Just because I’m feeling this way, does that mean my perceptions are correct?Am I thinking this way just because I’m feeling bad right now?9. Labeling
When you use label, you might call yourself or other people names. Instead of being specific—for example, saying “That was a silly thing to do” —you make negative generalizations about yourself or other people by saying things like “I’m ugly,” or “she’s an idiot.”
The challenge: Judge the situation, not the personAsk yourself:
What are the facts and what are my interpretations?Just because there is something that I’m not happy with, does that mean that it’s totally no good?10. ‘Can’t Stand-itis’
Some people get intolerant when they have to do things they don’t enjoy. They tell themselves that they “can’t stand” certain things instead of acknowledging that they don’t enjoy them. As a result, they easily become frustrated and angry.
The challenge: Accept that frustration is a normal part of lifeAsk yourself:
I don’t enjoy it, but I can stand it.This is a hassle, and that’s O.K.! Life is full of hassles."From mobile.us.reachout.comThinking errors can wreak havoc on our lives but positive affirmations can elevate the state of our lives. The person we should care for most is ourselves because if we don't we cannot truly be there for anyone else.
It's the old idea that no one will believe in you if you don't believe in yourself.
Christ is our example and the first thing we must do to be more Christlike is to believe we can be more Christlike. But that's only the first step. However, the first step is often the biggest leap of faith.
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