Do you live with a sense of destiny? You can succeed by the standards of the world around you in the amount of money you can make, accumulate, and spend, but does this by itself fill your life with meaning and purpose? Your destiny may be attached to the way you earn your living, but then again, it may not be. Do you find greater satisfaction in a bank balance, or in knowing that you were put here to make a unique contribution to make the world a better place? The world is groaning in travail for the manifestation of the destiny of the sons and daughters of God. I am too.

Do you go to the best church in town? Your neighbor may have a better car, but if so he probably paid more money for it and that is a consideration, but churches typically open their doors to all comers without cost, so price is not a factor in choosing the best church. How do you regard those who made a different choice? Is it easier to accept people who choose different cars than it is to accept people who choose different churches? From my perspective there is one body of Christ.

Do you take delight in the suffering of your children? What sort of horrible person would take delight in the pain their children experience from injury or illness? But there is another sort of suffering. What if they make right choices that are not popular with friends and classmates? What if they put forth the discipline and effort to excel in a worthwhile pursuit rather than living in casual leisure? Aren’t you proud of them for doing the right thing even if, especially if, there is some sacrifice involved, which could be viewed as suffering?

Can you see me in everyone you meet? I made them all, in my own image no less. Some are alienated from me, but this does not change the basis of their origin. Do you think in terms of ‘The Fall’? This did not change as much as you may think. In particular it did not change the fact that people were created in my image, and that the world I made was, and is, good. Can you see divine essence even in those who do not see it in themselves? Then you know more about them than they know about themselves.