Each new day of life is an opportunity for us to learn some new and interesting things. The wise man gleans as much as he can from his life experiences and with his new found knowledge and wisdom is able to chart and navigate his course in life. With all of his learning, he also learns that some obstacles in life can be overcome by using a little common sense.
It proves unhealthy and unwise to want to dedicate our entire life to being concerned about the welfare of others and never taking any time to take care of our own well-being. If we do not take care of ourselves we will eventually find ourselves stressed out and burnt out, and of no real service to anyone else or even ourselves.
There comes a time in all of our lives when we need to pause, take a step back, review, and reevaluate the priorities of our life. There comes a time when we need to take control of our own life, and not allow others to always be the “driver of the bus,” taking us only to the places that they wish to go. There comes a time when we need to reassess our situation in life and start to realize that everyone’s “that” is not necessarily any more important than our “this.” In other words, there comes a time when we just need to say, “No! I am not doing “that.” I am doing “this” now. When I get the time, I will get to “that.” And when we do so, we not cower, but stand our ground.
Unfortunately there are people in this world who enjoy nothing more than placing undue demands on our time and resources. They attempt to use us as their proverbial puppets on a string, never considering, nor caring, how much undue stress they place upon us in trying to always satisfy their needs and wants. In all fairness, however, we must get to the point in our life when we begin to realize that all the stress that we experience in life is not always the direct fault of others. Much of the stress that we experience is directly related to the stress that we place on ourselves. As a result, it is often that stress that we put upon ourselves that eventually causes total burnout.
Therefore, it proves unselfish to want to take some time for ourselves and to take care of ourselves. In fact, it proves foolish not to do so so. Although we may have a heart’s desire to want to try to solve the world’s problems, and to always be there for everyone else, there comes a time when the person that we should be there for the most is ourselves.
We cannot spend our entire life thinking that we have to always be the “go to” person. We need to take off our proverbial capes, because try as some of us might, we are not super beings, we are human beings – mortals made of flesh and blood, with emotions and feelings. If we do not take care of ourselves, the hard cold reality is that most of the time, nobody else will.
It is a good thing to want to help and care for others, but in all that we do, we must remember to always take good care of ourselves.
I will base my thoughts for the next few minutes on the Scripture found in Alma 34:38 in the Book of Mormon which reads:
That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.
Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.
In obedience there is joy and peace . . . and as God has designed our happiness . . . , He never has — He never will . . . give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed.” (History of the Church, 5:134-135.)
Often that path includes affliction, trials, and suffering—physically, mentally, and even spiritually.
Adversity, or what we perceive to be adversity, enters into the life of every person at various times and in various forms. Adversity may be the consequence of willful disobedience to the laws of God. However, even those, who with righteous desire seek earnestly to learn and strive diligently to do God’s will, experience adversities in their lives.
Adversity in the lives of the obedient and faithful may be the consequence of disease, accidental injury, ignorance, or the influence of the adversary. To preserve free agency, the Lord also at times permits the righteous to suffer the consequences of evil acts by others (see 1 Nephi 18:16).
Some may respond to such innocent suffering with resentment, anger, bitterness, doubt, or fear (see 1 Nephi 17:20). Others, with a knowledge and testimony of the divine plan of salvation, often respond with faith, patience, and a hope born of that “peace … which passeth all understanding.” As we are taught in the Scriptures in Philippians 4:6-7 which reads:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Savior himself “learned … obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Prophets and Apostles, ancient and modern, have struggled with adversity in their own lives, as well as with trials associated with their divine callings. No one is exempt.
However, the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 8:28,
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Similarly, the prophet Lehi in the Book of Mormon assured his son Jacob with these words,
AND now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my first–born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Nevertheless, Jacob, my first–born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:1-2).
How, then, shall we respond to what may be undeserved adversity in our own lives? How may our responses to affliction and suffering draw us closer to the Savior, to our Heavenly Father, and to the realization of our own celestial potential? May I suggest a few examples and role models found in the scriptures?
The sons of Mosiah, in the course of their missionary labors, “had many afflictions … both in body and in mind … and also much labor in the spirit” (Alma 17:5). Partly because of such experiences, they became “strong in the knowledge of the truth; … men of a sound understanding … [who] searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God (Alma 17:2). “They had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation” (Alma 17:2-3) Through their positive response to adversity they grew spiritually.
In the time of Nephi, son of Helaman, “the more humble part of the people … [suffered] much affliction”; but they fasted and prayed frequently and became “stronger in their humility, and … firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation” (Helaman 3:34-35). From their examples we learn some positive responses to our own adversities in life.
As did they, we should look to the Savior for divine assistance. Paul reminds us in Hebrews 4:14-16,
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Therefore, we should follow the counsel of Amulek: “Let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you” (Alma 34:27).
Next, our prayers should be accompanied with daily scripture study. The eternal perspective attained thereby reminds us of who we are, what the true purpose of this mortal experience is, and who placed us here. The availability of divine help is repeatedly reconfirmed. Daily scripture study also makes us continuously conscious of covenants we have made with the Lord and of his promised blessings.
As we fulfill our baptismal covenant, we “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light,” and our own burdens are lightened. We “comfort those that stand in need of comfort,” and we receive comfort. When we “stand as witnesses of God … in all things,” we feel his redeeming love and see our present circumstances more clearly in the perspective of eternal life (Mosiah 18:8-9). In a sense, we are thereby accepting the Savior’s invitation:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Is it not probable that bearing his yoke and his burden includes forgetting self in service to others?
Patience must also be part of our response to adversity. Ammon, son of Mosiah, recalling personal challenges acknowledged,
Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success (Alma 26:27).
VERILY I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks; Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.
In modern revelation we are further instructed to:
Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:68).
Ancient prophets teach us that “when he shall appear, … we shall see him as he is; … [and] be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48; see also 1 John 3:2). The Lord’s own way of preparing us to see Him as He is may well include the refining furnace of affliction, that we may “offer a sacrifice [to Him] … of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” the promised reward being “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:8, 23).
Each of us is the spiritual offspring of God. We came to this earth to prepare to return to His presence, there to share a fulness—that is, eternal life. Without adversity, we may tend to forget the divine purpose of mortality and live our lives focused on the transitory things of the world.
There is encouragement and comfort in knowing that we will not be tested beyond our capacity to endure; that we will benefit from our adversities; and that the resources and circumstances necessary for us to do so will be provided (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). From the Book of Mormon comes another illustration.
Those with whom Alma shared the inspired teachings of Abinadi entered into the baptismal covenant and began to live the gospel fully. There was no contention among them; they were knit together in unity and in love one toward another, caring for the poor and needy and for one another temporally and spiritually. Because of their industry and the harmony among them, they prospered (see Mosiah 23:15-20). Certainly they did not deserve adversity. However, they were provided with the opportunity for further spiritual growth.
The scriptural account continues with these words: “Nevertheless, the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith” (Mosiah 23:21)). Notwithstanding their righteousness, these faithful people suffered much affliction. Understandably, they pleaded with the Lord for relief, perhaps hoping that their burdens would be removed. In response to their pleadings, the Lord comforted them and assured them of His help (Mosiah 24:8-14). Then he strengthened them “that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15). Eventually, because of their faith and patience, they were delivered from their afflictions. Having been further refined spiritually, and with increased faith, “they gave thanks to God” (Mosiah 24:16-22).
In the last days of the Nephite civilization, the prophet Mormon wrote a letter to his son, Moroni, describing the wickedness, cruelty, and depravity which caused innocent people to suffer. Then he added these words of admonition and comfort:
My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down … ; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, … his mercy … and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father … and our Lord Jesus Christ … be, and abide with you forever (Moroni 9:25-26).
This is also my prayer for each of us this day. In the sacred name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Ostentatious Facades Give Impetus to Search for Truth
From a young age, I have always been fascinated by books. One of my favorite pastimes is visiting different bookstores and perusing books of various subjects. I equate my spending time in a bookstore to a little child in a candy shop trying to decide which of all the candies is his favorite, and which of his favorites he will be able to buy with the allowance he has been given. Like the little child, I find myself mulling over which book or books I am able to buy and not exceed my spending limit.
The decision of which books to buy and which ones to buy at a later date is not always easy, I may select several books and put them in my shopping basket, but before I reach the checkout counter, I look at my selections carefully to choose the one or ones that I believe I would be most interested in reading. To help me make that decision, I glean as much information as I can about the books that I plan to buy by reading the front, inside, and back covers of each. Sometimes the title of the book alone is enough to spark my interest to buy it. Other times it is the short synopsis of the book on the inside or back cover of the book that will wet my appetite enough to buy it. Whatever the case, I find that my decision to buy a book is generally influenced by what is written on its cover. I have discovered, however, that sometimes what is written on the cover of a book is spot on about what the book is about, but there have been a few instances when I found that the cover was nothing more than a pretentious façade to entice people to buy the volume only to discover that the contents may not be exactly what was expected.
And so it seems that the cover of a book alone may not necessarily show its true contents. In the same vein, we should not live under the pretense of believing that we know everything there is to know about a person judging solely by his or her outward appearance. Just as we must open the cover of a book and look at its contents to learn what it is about, we must take the time to get to know a person and the true content of his or her character, and then we may find that our previous judgments of that person were unwarranted. The cover, or the outward appearance of a person may show some things about a person, but it is the content of their character that defines who they are.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where people find it easy to judge others for one reason or another. Oftentimes the judgments that they make are superficial, not factual. For some, it is easier to be critical and condemning of another, than to try to understand and help lift up another. These are they who incessantly point out the flaws in others, but fail to acknowledge their own. Matthew 7:1-5 teaches:
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
The scriptures also exhort us, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37), and “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). In the exercise of our moral agency, we each make some sort of judgment every day. We make judgments about who we choose as friends, what career path we will follow, how we will spend our time and money, and for those who are single and seeking a mate, judgments are made about who the right choice for a mate would be. However, we must use caution that our judgments of people are intermediate and not final, and that the judgments we make are righteous judgments. Righteous judgments will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. Moroni 7:15-16 in the Book of Mormon teaches:
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks. in a talk delivered at Brigham Young University on 1 March 1998 titled “”Judge Not” and Judging,” taught that “there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles.” He further admonished, “these judgments are essential to the exercise of personal moral agency. Our scriptural accounts of the Savior’s mortal life provide the pattern. He declared, “I have many things to say and to judge of you” (John 8:26) and “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see”(John 9:39). He continued by commentating that, “the Savior also commanded individuals to be judges, both of circumstances and of other people. Through the prophet Moses, the Lord commanded Israel, “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour” (Leviticus 19:15)”.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:10 reminds us that the day will come when “the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.” Therefore, if the Lord uses His own criteria for judging us, we are assured of a just and merciful judgment (Psalms 103:8; John 5:30). The question that then begs an answer is, “Are we confident enough with the criteria we use in judging others that we are willing to have the Lord judge us according to our criteria and not His own?” Do we want Him to judge us in the same way we judge others? If not, then perhaps we should be less hasty to criticize and condemn others.
The summation of the matter is this: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3) “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” (James 4:11-12)
We need to use extreme caution in wanting to immediately retaliate against someone whom we feel has committed a wrong against us. Although we may feel that we are punishing or hurting that person in some way through our retaliation, we must take a step back and realize that most of the time we also cause hurt to ourselves.
We must realize that retaliation does not necessarily bring about resolution, but rather, oftentimes it affords the one whom we are retaliating against the opportunity to counter attack. We must also realize that there are people in this world who do not care if they have hurt us, and so planning our attack against them for what they have done, or what we perceive they have done, can prove at best a futile effort.
Let us remember that battles have never been won by continuing to bombard the shores of the “enemy”, but at some point in a time, a ceasefire order is given, and a peace resolution agreed upon.
The Moral of the Story
At times in this life each of us will come in contact with people who will commit wrongs against us. Although the experience is painful for us, it becomes even more painful if we never let the wound heal, but allow it to continue to fester by continually bringing to the forefront the wrong committed against us.
A major part of the healing process is learning to forgive those who trespass against us. It eventually proves futile to want to belabor discussions about how or why the wrong occurred , for in the end, people grow weary of hearing our tales of woe and will become indifferent about the matter. If we continue to focus on the wrong against us, and never learn to forgive and let go, we become self incarcerated prisoners locked in a prison cell built by our own devices.
“Listen not to a tale- bearer or slanderer, for he tells thee nothing out of good-will; but as he discovereth of the secret of others, so he will of thine in turn.” – Socrates
It would prove wise counsel to beware the talebearer. The talebearer is an extremely slanderous and scandalous person. He speaks with a forked tongue that is as deadly as the venom of an Egyptian cobra. He weaves a web that is more intricate than that of a venomous spider, ensnaring and entangling his unsuspecting victims. The talebearer often knows a minuscule of the truth, and even that truth which he professes to know in time becomes twisted and distorted, resulting in one vicious lie after another being told. Seeking after the truth, or even telling the truth has never been, and never will be his forte. Instead he basks in the hate and discontent that he causes by spreading malicious falsities.
Those who dare to associate with the talebearer place themselves in peril. At first he may seem as harmless as a lamb, but once he has gained favor, his true identity as a ravenous wolf comes to light. He will lure you into his den and hold you captive there. He will not release you until you agree to take part in his devious behavior. In time you will become just like him, a slanderous and scandalous person who spreads malicious falsities, causing undue malice and discontent.
And so, it proves a foolish adventure to want to tread upon the playground of the talebearer. If perchance you do happen to stumble upon his playground, it is to your advantage to vacate immediately. It will proffer you nothing but relentless stress and heartache to stay and try to befriend him, for he is not the true friend of anyone. He only seeks to rally innocent victims to champion his cause. He is cold-hearten and ruthless, and when he gets the opportunity, he will use you as the subject of the next tale that he bears.
All of us are probably guilty at one time or another of participating in idle gossip and hearsay. How many times have we been a part of a conversation that begins something like the following: “I don’t know if it is true or not, but I heard that ____”? And we can each fill in the blank. How many times have we been found guilty of being the starters of such conversations?
Hearsay is like loose cannon fodder that strikes whatever happens to be in its path. It is like a rattle snake lurking in the weeds and bushes waiting to inject its deadly venom into its next innocent victim. It is the cog that turns the perpetual wheel of contention and strife. It is of no intrinsic value or worth unless there can be found a meager thread of evidence that substantiates that what is being said bears any resemblance to the actual truth.
Oftentimes whenever the person that started the proverbial ball of confusion rolling is questioned as to where they got their information, the response is usually that they heard it from ____, who heard it from ____, and it could go on ad infinitum.
Perhaps it all started with the victim of the hearsay sharing a matter in confidence with a “friend”, and that “friend” in turn told a “friend” who told a “friend”, and so forth and so on. What started out as a private conversation between two confidants ends up becoming the headline story on the front page of the local town gossip newspaper or, nowadays going viral on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media venues. Even the news media thrives on such material, typically with disclaimers such as, “It was reported in the ____ Times that ____”, or “Reliable government sources indicate that ____”. When all is said and done what may even have started as an absolute truth becomes a distorted web and hodgepodge of fabrications and lies with maybe a miniscule of truth mixed in for flavor.
Instead of continuing to drink from the dregs of a bottle of deadly poison, would it not prove to be of greater worth to go to the subject of the hearsay and obtain the actual facts and ultimately the truth? The least we can do is not pass it on unverified.
I am but a young man of 57 years. However, within my short life time I have slowly watched the world spin out of control on a downward spiral. Many of the nonsensical things that are occurring in our day and time would have never been thought of or heard of when I was a lad growing up.
Perhaps those were simpler times. Times when people respected each other, and actually endeavored to work together as a unified community for the common good of all. Certainly we had our problems in those days with the various crimes that were committed, but the crimes that were committed did not seem to be of the same brashness and magnitude as we see today.
During the days of my youth there were those who loved playing pranks over the telephone such as, “Is your refrigerator running? Well, you better go catch it.”, but we did not have people calling us attempting to scam us out of what little money we may have had. Today with the ever-increasing knowledge that man has been able to get with the rapid advances in modern technology, some people have found it convenient to take advantage of honest people in any way that they see fit and find absolutely nothing wrong in doing so.
For the most part, these scammers, scalawags, vagabonds, and thieves are nothing more than cowards. They play their cloak and dagger games consistently pretending to be someone who they are not, and often use coercion tactics to get innocent people to fall prey to their devious plots. These criminals have even gone so far as to use fake telephone numbers to call people so that if the person being called wishes to trace their number, they will have a difficult time doing so. Some of them try to disguise themselves as harmless, innocent sheep when they are ravenous wolves seeking their next prey to devour.
People such as these bank on the false hopes that their operations will always stay covert. What they fail to realize is that everything that now appears to be done in darkness will one day come to light. Some have had their operations foiled and brought to light sooner than expected as once innocent victims have begun to raise their voices in protest and expose these scammers, scalawags, vagabonds, and thieves for who they are – criminals who deserve nothing more than to spend time sitting behind bars looking out, longing for the freedoms that they once had but willingly threw away because of their nonsensical schemes and scams which ultimately brought about their own demise.
My dear friends we live in an hour when Satan and all of his little minions are on the prowl more than ever seeking whom they may devour. Their evil forces are stronger than they have ever been. Knowing this, I am reminded that the only thing needed for evil to continue to succeed in this world is for good men to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing.
Now is not the time to give up and give in. Now is not the time to run and cower in a corner crying, “What shall we do? What shall we do?” What we should be doing and need to be doing is standing up and speaking out with a clarion voice to announce that we have had enough – from now on and no farther. Now is the time to stand up and speak up and send a message loud and clear to those who wish to destroy our lives and our society at every turn that if they are caught playing their game, from this point forward and forevermore, the only verdict that will be rendered is, “Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. There is a place that has been prepared for you and your friends where you can spend your days cheating and scamming each other.” For far too long these criminals have been allowed to roam free and cause havoc. We must take back what is rightfully ours and put them where they rightfully belong.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the clarion voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated on the evening of Thursday, 4 April 1968, at the young age of 39 years, while standing on the balcony of his room (room 306) at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. He was a man of vision and determination that never stopped dreaming of what could be. As a Baptist minister, he taught Christian values to the community. He was charismatic and had a powerful way of speaking and getting his message across. Having spent thirteen years of his life dedicated to non-violent protest, his voice was silenced by one final act of violence as a sniper’s bullet would claim his life.
Six months prior to his death, on Thursday, 26 October 1967, Dr. King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He began his remarks that day by asking the students what has since proved to be a timely question. The question that was put before the students that day was, “What is your life’s blueprint?” His message was based on the premise that no matter what a person’s lot may be in life, he should always strive to be the best at what he does. He encouraged the students by telling them, “And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better”.
To further illustrate his point, Dr. King used the example of a street sweeper. He said:
If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.
Dr. King’s message was not just for the students at Barratt Junior High School on that particular day in 1967, but the principles that he taught can be applied to our times as well.
For example, there is a person who has a job that he absolutely does not like. He wakes up each morning, rolls out of bed, gets dressed, and complains the entire time about how lousy his job is, and how he is not looking forward to another day at the office. Once he gets to work, he spends the entire day constantly watching the clock waiting in great anticipation for the moment when he can finally flee from his misery and return home. When he gets home he spends the evening complaining about how miserable his day was and the fact that he hates his job. The next morning he gets up and starts the cycle all over again, never seeming to find an end to his misery and woe.
Now compare this worker to Dr. King’s street sweeper. There is no doubt that he may have aspirations of a better job, but he understands that at this time in his life his job is to be a street sweeper. Each morning he wakes up, gets out of bed, gets dressed, and prepares for the day ahead. He is thankful that he has a job and that he is able to make money to be able to take care of his needs. He shows up for work on time every morning and gives nothing less than his best in completing the tasks that he is given. He not only does a good job, but he is so passionate about what he does that he is determined to be the best street sweeper that ever lived. When the work day is over, he goes home with a sense of satisfaction that not only did he do the best job that he could possibly do, but on this particular day he was the best that has ever been at his job. He is happy with his job and happy with his life. He can rest peacefully at night knowing that whatever he has to do, he does it “as if God Almighty called [him] at this particular moment in history to do it”.
The major difference between these two workers is their attitude. The first worker has a negative attitude about everything and thus is a constant complainer. He allows misery and woe to fill and define his life. The street sweeper accepts his lot in life and has a positive attitude that things will get better in time and some day he may have a better job. Although he may not think his job to be as significant as some others, he is determined to give it his all and believes in his heart that “the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better”.
The first worker may end up working at the same job his entire life without ever being promoted to a better position within the company. The future of the street sweeper; however, is promising. One day a manager or supervisor may give notice to his passion for hard work and promote him to a lead position. Because of his passion to do the best job that he can in the new position as well, he may soon find himself being promoted to a manager or supervisor position.
Even if the street sweeper never climbs the economic ladder higher than his self-made position as the best street sweeper that ever lived, he is happy and successful throughout his life because of his positive attitude and the passion to do whatever his calling may be to the best of his ability.
What lessons can we learn from the street sweeper? In the words of Dr. King, “If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are”.
These principles not only apply to our employment, but also to our family life, and our everyday life in the community as well. Whatever situation in life we may find ourselves in, let us learn to accept who we are and where we are at this particular moment in our lives. Let us develop a passion for everything that we do, and regardless of the struggles and adversities that we may face, never give in and never give up. Let us press forward with the attitude that winners never quit and quitters never win. Let us resolve that from this day forward, no matter what our lot in life may be, we will be the best at whatever we do.
This is an audio clip from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s message titled “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” delivered at New Covenant Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 9 April 1967.
There were two men running in a race. The one runner had no other goal in mind then to be the first to cross the finish line and to be declared the victor. Winning meant everything to him. As far as he was concerned, if he could not win the race, there was no real reason to run the race. The other runner had a completely different attitude. He was definitely in the race to do his best, but to him crossing the finish line first was not necessarily the goal. For you see, this runner was more concerned with running the race well.
And so there they were, both at the starting line anticipating the start of the race. Soon the gun was fired and the runners were off, running towards the finish line which was some distance away.
As the race progressed the runner whose objective it was to win at any cost began cutting other runners off causing some to trip and fall. Some were even injured to the point where they could not finish the race. However, this did not stop this runner. He had a race to win. So he continued on his way. The other runner; however, would stop and help those who had fallen, and ensured that they were off of the track out of harms way. After seeing to the well being of his fellow runners he continued on his way running at a steady pace.
During the course of the race there were some runners who soon ran out of energy and instead of running began walking at a fast pace. There were others who wanted to quit believing that there was no way possible for them to finish the race, let alone win the race. The runner with the goal of winning the race noticed this and was determined to use this to his advantage for this meant that there were now fewer people competing for the prize. Victory to him was beginning to look sweeter and sweeter. The other runner noticing that some of his fellow runners were growing weary would run along side of them and speak to them and encourage them to not quit, but to continue to run the race as best they could. Soon those who had all but given up were re energized and began to give it their all to finish the race.
Soon the finish line was in sight. The runner whose goal it was to be declared the winner was exhausted. He had run a long, hard race, but with the finish line just in sight he was determined to be the first to cross. He was well in the lead, but there were some runners that were rapidly gaining on him. With all of his might and strength he ran as hard and as fast as he could hoping that no other runner would catch him and pass him and cross the finish line before him. The other runner was a little distance behind. He too now had sight of the finish line but continued to run the race at a steady pace. A short time later, the one runner had achieved his goal. He had crossed the finish line first and thus became the winner of the race. The crowd applauded in excitement.
Shortly thereafter, the other runner also reached the finish line. As he was about to cross the line he stopped. There was a hush over the audience as they were amazed that a runner would stop just short of crossing the finish line. The runner turned and looked behind him. He saw some of his fellow runners that were struggling to finish the race. Without hesitation he ran back to encourage the runners once again not to quit but to push forward and endure to the end. All of the runners finally made it across the finish line with this runner being the last one to cross. For a moment there was a deep silence from the crowd. And then it happened. One by one people slowly began to stand to their feet and applaud this runner. The applause was longer and louder than it had been for the runner who “won” the race. This left the “winner” both amazed and confused. He did not understand why this runner who had crossed the finish line last was receiving so much recognition especially since he had clearly lost the race.
When all is said and done, which of these two runners was the real winner of the race?
There are two four-letter words in the English language that both begin with the letter “L”. One of the words ends in the letter “t”, and the other ends in the letter “e”. There are many people who use the words interchangeably when expressing their intimate feelings for someone. They treat these two words as if their meanings were one in the same, but in reality there exist a chasm between the two. The two words are “Lust” and “Love.”
There are those who feel that their lustful desires are an expression of their “true love” for someone. They base their entire relationship with a person on the supposition that the most important element in that relationship is having those desires fulfilled, and nothing else matters. As a result they find themselves forever in search of “true love” but never finding it because their concept of “true love” is only superficial. For them, “true love” is not enduring, but rather is fleeting, lasting only for the duration of the fulfillment of their lustful desires at that moment.
True love does not always seek to fulfill the lustful desires of the flesh, but rather it is pure and genuine in intent, and finds its pleasure in being with and supporting another. True love comes from the heart and realizes that fulfilling the desires of the flesh is an additional part of a relationship, and not the entire basis for a relationship. True love seeks not to satisfy self, but always seeks to please and to be pleasing to another. True love does not ask the question, “What is in it for me?”, but rather the question that is asked is, “How can we work together, and grow and mature together, to make this an enduring relationship based on our genuine and true love for one another?” When true love is at the forefront of a relationship, that relationship is destined to become a bilateral relationship.
Lust, on the other hand, only seeks self-gratification for that is all it knows and really cares about. It is always in a state of flux, continuously moving from one relationship to another, always wanting to fulfill its desires, but never finding true happiness or real satisfaction in any relationship that it is a part of. Lust always wants to know, “What is in it for me?” Nothing else, or anybody else ever matters. It is shallow, cold-hearted, and callous by nature. It seeks to fulfill its pleasures, but never truly finds lasting pleasure for itself in the fulfillment of those pleasures, for it always begs for more and the more that it gets, the more it wants. When lust is the sole basis for a relationship, that relationship is destined to become a unilateral relationship.
“How do I ‘love” you?” is a question that each individual must answer for themselves through self-examination of their true intent and motives. When a person enters into a relationship he needs to ask himself if he is seeking something that will be enduring, or is he seeking something that is fleeting like the wind. The main word in the vocabulary of lust is “me”. The main words in the vocabulary of true love are “you and me.” Lust stands alone. True love joins together with another to create a harmonious relationship.
Of Common Sense 