LLLV19 4-1-2019 Confucius on Three Stages of Life
Do you ever consider how people appear to change as time goes by? Often the change is subtle, and we hardly notice. In others, wow. A Chinese philosopher caught my attention when as preteen watching a supermax 12-inch TV featuring Charlie Chan uncovering plots on “the insidious Dr. Fu man chu.” Chan would often counter the plot of the villain with this, “Confucius say.” Here’s one:
"In youth, we have to be on our guard against lust; in our prime against aggressiveness; in old age against greediness." Confucius.
The wisdom of Chan’s source is validated by Paul’s instruction to young Timothy here:
2Timothy 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Here’s Matthew weighing in on anger/aggression:
Matthew 2:16 “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”
As to greed in its many forms passages are too numerous to mention contributes much to the weight of the Bible. I use this one from Jesus:
Luke 12:15 “And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (NKJV).
The text continues to the story of the rich man who always wanted “Just a little more.” He got what he wanted, but as with all us mere humans, death caught up with him. As he lay dying the posited to him rings a warning of hoarding things, that matters little when the man riding the dark gray horse swing the reaper’s sickle comes; Here’s the last word:
Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (NKJV).
Learn to trust God in all seasons of life.
Larry Lilly Share with media friends for Twitter http://www.larrylilly.net/blog
Non-Greedy IT work. Oral Deckard
Do you ever consider how people appear to change as time goes by? Often the change is subtle, and we hardly notice. In others, wow. A Chinese philosopher caught my attention when as preteen watching a supermax 12-inch TV featuring Charlie Chan uncovering plots on “the insidious Dr. Fu man chu.” Chan would often counter the plot of the villain with this, “Confucius say.” Here’s one:
"In youth, we have to be on our guard against lust; in our prime against aggressiveness; in old age against greediness." Confucius.
The wisdom of Chan’s source is validated by Paul’s instruction to young Timothy here:
2Timothy 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Here’s Matthew weighing in on anger/aggression:
Matthew 2:16 “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”
As to greed in its many forms passages are too numerous to mention contributes much to the weight of the Bible. I use this one from Jesus:
Luke 12:15 “And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (NKJV).
The text continues to the story of the rich man who always wanted “Just a little more.” He got what he wanted, but as with all us mere humans, death caught up with him. As he lay dying the posited to him rings a warning of hoarding things, that matters little when the man riding the dark gray horse swing the reaper’s sickle comes; Here’s the last word:
Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (NKJV).
Learn to trust God in all seasons of life.
Larry Lilly Share with media friends for Twitter http://www.larrylilly.net/blog
Non-Greedy IT work. Oral Deckard