LLLV18 10-25-2018 The Drop Off Secret to Success
Have you heard or read any articles on the subject of improving your life? The matter has been a “hot button” one for years. Self-improvement titles usually fly off the shelves. Most us are at least a little interested in doing better, making more money and learning how to make our wife a better woman. (Mine is already Perfect).
Here’s some bona fide help from one of the great Russian writers, Leo Tolstoy:
“People try to do all sorts of clever and difficult things to improve life instead of doing the simplest, easiest thing -- refusing to participate in activities that make life bad.”
Think about it; almost every life, at whatever status lived, will become more livable when we choose to cut loose from the debilitating habits of destruction. Most can make a long list of things people should drop. The file will always contain many things others do that would improve their life. We run into a more difficult task when we get down to the nitty-gritty in our life. Sin, by popular definition, is a collection of acts that others are engaged in, and they are things I would never do! Jesus talked about this when He told of the people who had a log in their eye while trying to clean a speck out of another’s eye.
In our area, we are trying to develop programs to help those who are addicted to alcohol, all sorts of illegal drugs, and some who are addicted to other peoples prescribed drugs. It’s a real problem. Tolstoy’s advice will help here. But what about other things and acts that contribute to making life bad?
Spending even a little time with “Complainers Anonymous” will hinder your progress in most walks of life. How about tale-bearing? Could the habit of ogling the opposite sex, keep you in trouble? A man came to me for counseling. When I asked; What do you think is your problem? The poor soul stated: “My wife is so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off her!” His wife thought this was his best habit. I consoled him like this; “Please do not worry much about your problem. It’s your wife’s fault, for if she were not beautiful in your eyes, you would not feel this way. But, it's obvious that the rigors of time will lessen the power of your problem.”
Years ago Earl Nightingale offered this: “If you have time to waste, please, do Not waste it with me!” Earl could be acerbic. Paul put it gentler:
Eph 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Larry Lilly
Effective IT Work. Oral Deckard
Have you heard or read any articles on the subject of improving your life? The matter has been a “hot button” one for years. Self-improvement titles usually fly off the shelves. Most us are at least a little interested in doing better, making more money and learning how to make our wife a better woman. (Mine is already Perfect).
Here’s some bona fide help from one of the great Russian writers, Leo Tolstoy:
“People try to do all sorts of clever and difficult things to improve life instead of doing the simplest, easiest thing -- refusing to participate in activities that make life bad.”
Think about it; almost every life, at whatever status lived, will become more livable when we choose to cut loose from the debilitating habits of destruction. Most can make a long list of things people should drop. The file will always contain many things others do that would improve their life. We run into a more difficult task when we get down to the nitty-gritty in our life. Sin, by popular definition, is a collection of acts that others are engaged in, and they are things I would never do! Jesus talked about this when He told of the people who had a log in their eye while trying to clean a speck out of another’s eye.
In our area, we are trying to develop programs to help those who are addicted to alcohol, all sorts of illegal drugs, and some who are addicted to other peoples prescribed drugs. It’s a real problem. Tolstoy’s advice will help here. But what about other things and acts that contribute to making life bad?
Spending even a little time with “Complainers Anonymous” will hinder your progress in most walks of life. How about tale-bearing? Could the habit of ogling the opposite sex, keep you in trouble? A man came to me for counseling. When I asked; What do you think is your problem? The poor soul stated: “My wife is so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off her!” His wife thought this was his best habit. I consoled him like this; “Please do not worry much about your problem. It’s your wife’s fault, for if she were not beautiful in your eyes, you would not feel this way. But, it's obvious that the rigors of time will lessen the power of your problem.”
Years ago Earl Nightingale offered this: “If you have time to waste, please, do Not waste it with me!” Earl could be acerbic. Paul put it gentler:
Eph 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Larry Lilly
Effective IT Work. Oral Deckard