Do you find that everyone laments the problems in the world, and has strong opinions about what is wrong, and firm ideas about what needs to be changed? Do you? Do you think the world would be a better place if you ran it? Beware of this conclusion. Recall all the times in history when those who thought they had a better idea seized the power to implement it. How well has this worked out? My word tells you that I have ordained the powers that be.
Does the Bible teach you that my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts? Do you accept that this is true even if you have a Bible? The Bible doesn’t make you smarter than me. Moses trembled when he encountered me, and others, including my beloved John, fell to the ground on their faces as dead men. But you have come to the City of the Living God and have access to a greater realm of glory than they did. Can you bear it?
Have you heard of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps? This common saying implies an intense self-directed effort but it is logically impossible to pull yourself up this way and the attempt would only create internal stress. Does this illustration of physics have a spiritual parallel? Can you achieve your own spiritual awakening, salvation, and transformation? You acknowledge dependence on me for these things. Do you require the assistance of others as well? You do not exist in isolation and were not designed to live this way.
Do you take the Bible seriously? What is your greatest concern about the Bible? Do you insist that all the events of the Bible happened exactly as described, and would appear as such if captured by modern video recording? Is this your defense of the integrity of the Bible? Or are you more concerned about how to implement in your own life the message that the Bible speaks to you? Can you answer this question by the guidance given in the Bible? Some are called to be theologians, but the guidance I gave to everyone who responded to my message was to follow me.
Are you generous? Generosity is a universally admired trait. Do you have a great deal of money to give away? If not, do you think this prevents you from being generous? This is one way to be generous, but there are many others. How many can you think of? One way to be generous is to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are doing the best they are capable of even if you don’t know for sure. You can give of your time and your attention and bestow love and favor on everyone. Do you know people like this whether they have money or not? Are you one?
Do you take insults personally? When someone seems to be overly sensitive do you tell them not to take it personally? If you are a person how else would you take it? Yet this is common terminology that is well understood even if the underlying principle is seldom articulated. How fragile is your identity? Is it externally based, dependent on the affirmation and approval of others, and therefore subject to rise and fall based on their whims? This is a weak sense of self. Or is it internally based, given by me, and therefore independent of external circumstances?
Do the founding documents of your country promise you the right to pursue happiness? This isn’t true for everyone, but this is an idea with universal appeal. Have you engaged in this pursuit? How successful have you been? Do you know how to go about it and what would make you happy? Most people think that unlimited self-indulgence is the best approach if they can implement it. Have you noticed that those do end up spoiled and disillusioned rather than happy? What other approaches are there?
You know that you are to forgive others. This is a very strong theme in your faith. When you are faced with a situation that calls for forgiveness, do you try to find a good reason to do it? Do you come up with excuses or rationalizations on the part of the offending party that would explain their actions? Does this make it easier to grant forgiveness? Is this an expression of rigorous thinking? It probably isn’t when you do it on your own behalf, and even less so when you do it on behalf of another person, but if it makes it easier for you to practice forgiveness by all means keep it up.
Do you like variety? Everyone likes ice cream, and there is a reason that it comes in so many flavors. Is there a spiritual counterpart to this? Do you understand that my mercies are new every morning? This implies that there is a fresh and unique quality to my mercy for each day. Have you experienced this yourself? Each day is different and has it’s own challenges and difficulties. You have my promise that I will craft a new version of mercy to meet the needs of each moment. You may not think of mercy and grace in terms of flavors, but it is an appropriate metaphor.
Do you like stories? Everyone does. Do you see them as harmless entertainment? You get to choose which stories you listen to, but you are influenced by them in turn, so you should take stories seriously, and be selective. Stories are so powerful that I used them to convey eternal truth. Stories teach you what to expect if you continue in a particular direction, and what to value. So the consequences of your stories are enormous and you should think of them as lessons rather than entertainment. You get to choose what course of study you will pursue in school.
