Meditations on God

Entrusted With Purpose
We each have a unique spirit and a unique purpose.

We may not know what this purpose is, however.

In fact, it may not be for us to know.

It may not be any of our business, actually.

If we are fortunate, we may find out some day.

But, if and when we do discover our purpose, if that mysterious knowledge is somehow revealed to us, we will then bear the burden of having to fulfill it.

We will have the obligation to take action toward it.

We will no longer have an excuse.

We can no longer claim ignorance or confusion.

With clarity, comes responsibility.

Once we know who we are and what we are meant to do, we must act accordingly.

We must follow through on our unique abilities, perspective, and purpose.

Even if this is a difficult task, even if it feels like an impossible mission, we should rejoice in the fact that we are so beloved by God that he would entrust us with any purpose at all.
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June 24, 2021

god, life, purpose, spirit
That Which Must Be Done
There will always be things in our lives that we do not want to do, but that we must do lest we forever regret not having done them.

These are usually experiences we have been avoiding out of fear, but that we know deep down are necessary for us.

We avoid doing them because they are difficult and because they challenge our need for certainty, security, and predictability.

Certainty, security, and predicability are illusions, however.

They do not truly exist outside of our imaginations and desires.

Basing our lives on these false expectations will inevitably let us down.

When this happens, we will realize how much time we have wasted trying to play it safe.

This is time that we cannot get back.

In these moments, we have the opportunity to face ourselves and all that we have been avoiding.

We have the opportunity to take action, to change our course, and to mitigate further loss.

This, however, will not be easy.

It will require courage, dedication, and diligence.

But, it is worth it.

Regret is too great a price to pay for the dubious luxury of certainty, security, and predictability that do not actually exist in the first place.
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June 23, 2021

predictability, regret, safety, security
The Final Say
Fear comes in many different forms, but most of it is self-centered.

We worry.

We fret.

We obsess over all that could go wrong.

We imagine all sort of scenarios that will lead to our pain, suffering, and strife.

Whatever is the worst that could happen in a given situation, we know that it can and perhaps will happen to us.

Fear does not get the final say, however.

If we decide that fear is not going to control us, that it is not going to determine our fate, and that we are going to free ourselves from its treacherous grasp, fear is nothing but a feeling.

Action is the killer of fear.

Specifically, positive action taken in the opposite direction of our fears has the power to override them.

That is because, as powerful as fear may be, hope and optimism backed with effort are what keep us going.

Often, they keep us going in spite of ourselves.
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June 22, 2021

fear, hope, optimism
Affecting What Is
Reality is typically not as dramatic as our imaginations make it seem.

Things are rarely as bad as we fear or as good as we hope they will be.

Instead of seeing and accepting life as it is, we have the capacity to make it either better or worse in our minds.

This is not really all that useful.

In fact, our tendency to exaggerate the truth in our minds can greatly complicate the way we experience the world, our relationships, and even ourselves.

What we think or feel about what has happened or what may happen is not nearly as helpful as what is actually happening.

What is happening is what we actually have influence over.

It is what we can take action on.

It is far easier, after all, to change the way we think and feel with action than it is to change our actions with thoughts and feelings.

Starting with that which we can actually affect, therefore, is far more beneficial than starting with how we feel or what we think about it.
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June 21, 2021

emotions, imagination, life, thoughts
Healthy Giving
The things that make others happy may not be the things that make us happy.

As long as the things that make us happy are not overtly selfish, destructive, or harmful, this is perfectly alright.

While being helpful, useful, and generous is necessary if we want to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives, we are not expected to continually sacrifice our happiness for the sake of others.

Self-sacrifice does not have to mean sacrificing that which brings us joy, comfort, and satisfaction for something that does not.

Rather, self sacrifice means giving up our childish, selfish, and short-sighted ways so that we may be more useful to the people around us and the greater purpose of our lives.

We should be able to give of ourselves without giving up our happiness as long as our happiness is rooted in what is actually good for us and others at the same time.

When we find ourselves feeling the urge to do something for others that just does not feel right for us, we should ask ourselves if we are being self-sacrificial or self-destructive.

The former will make our lives infinitely better, but the latter will only make our lives worse.

What we need is a healthy balance between service to others and service to our personal purpose.

We were put here for both, not one or the other.
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June 20, 2021

contentment, happiness, purpose, self sacrifice

Entrusted With Purpose

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That Which Must Be Done

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The Final Say

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Affecting What Is

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Healthy Giving

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