SIX 'MUST HAVE' INGREDIENTS IN LIFE

A few years ago a friend sent me an article via email that I thought contained some profound truths. From time to time while teaching at our local jail, I would talk about these six 'truths' and found that most of the inmates could relate to this list. They seemed to know that this is what they needed to be 'whole', a functioning human being within our society and within their families.  

(1)   Once a group of villagers got together and decided to pray for rain for their community that had suffered because of a drought. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one little boy came with an umbrella.

That's FAITH

(2)   When you playfully toss a small child into the air, the child laughs because he knows you will catch him, or her.

That's TRUST

(3)   Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarm to wake us up.

That's HOPE

(4)   We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future.

That's CONFIDENCE

(5)   We are witness to a suffering world, but still we get married and have babies.

That's LOVE

(6)   Written on an old man's T-shirt was this sentence, "I am not 80 years old, I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience."

That's ATTITUDE

We may try very hard, but we are not able to adorn our lives with these six important elements on our own. We need to look to the Lord to supply what we need to get through this life.

"Therefore, do not lose heart. . .inwardly we are being renewed, day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

It is indeed the Lord alone who supplies our faith, enables us to trust, gives us hope in hopeless situations, provides confidence, and nurtures love. Because God has shown us Who He is through a relationship with Jesus, we can rejoice with an attitude of gratitude for the One who loves us, sustains us, and holds us in the palm of His hand. To Him be the Glory!  

Amen, and God bless you, all my readers.