Most of us have been too careless in accumulating our ideas. It would do us good to take more responsibility for our thinking and be more selective in acquiring the ideas that will shape us and bear fruit as the garden of our life grows to maturity.
Unless we intend to sit down and give up the journey (which is not an honorable option), our obstacles should not be seen as anything more than temporary delays. As long as our conscience tells us that our goals are good, we must keep going!
More important than the fact of having been blessed is the opportunity to be a blessing to others. However we would define the “good life,” there should be something in our definition that involves adding a touch of grace to someone else’s life.
Generosity makes us richer while holding on to our treasures makes us poorer. The Book of Proverbs puts it this way: “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”
What is “exercise”? For the purposes of our discussion today, let’s think of it simply as “activity.” In terms of our character, don’t we want to be people of activity rather than inactivity? Don’t we want to be people who “exercise” ourselves?
Friendliness is one measure of character. Welcoming friendships into our lives (with the work necessary to nurture them) is an indication of character. In the end, we’ll enjoy little else we’ve accomplished if we haven’t been fond of friendship.
Joy a gift we can give to others, and we should want to give it. When we are joyless, we depress and discourage those who have to deal with us — on the other hand, we honor and benefit them when we present our “self” to them as a joyful self.
To honor freedom — and celebrate a man like Lincoln — we must do more than join organizations and attend rallies. We must sweat for it, and having defended it for ourselves and others, we must use it as a people who know right from wrong.
It takes wisdom and carefulness to distinguish what is honorable from what is not, and we should all be willing to have our judgments improved. But the person who won’t make any value judgments at all has less regard for honor than he should have.
When others don’t return our gifts of love and tenderness, but act harshly toward us, we may be tempted to respond in kind. But it is still worthwhile to show gentleness — if for no other reason than that is what will keep our hearts from hardening.