Psalm 118:8 (NIV)
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust
in humans.
A freshman at a local university wrote the following
letter to her parents:
Dear Mom and
Dad,
Just thought
I'd drop you a note to let you know about my plans. I've
fallen in love
with a guy named Jim. He quit high school after his
junior year to
get married. About a year ago, he got a
divorce.
We've been
going steady for two months and plan to get married in the
fall. Until
then, I've decided to move in with him. I think I might be
pregnant.
At any rate, I
dropped out of school last week. Of course I'd like to
finish college
sometime in the future.
On the next page, the letter continued:
Mom and Dad, I
just want you to know that everything I've written so
far in this
letter is false. None of it is true.
But it is true
that I got a D in Western Civ and flunked Algebra. And it
is also true
that I'm going to need some more money for tuition payments.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out her strategy, does
it? Even bad news can sound pretty good if it is kept in perspective. How we
evaluate ourselves and the people around us depends on our viewpoint.
Today you will be tempted to feel sorry for yourself.
Don't! Lots of people would love to trade places with you. Before you get down
in the dumps over whatever is bothering you, read today's obituaries to see how
many people younger than you died yesterday or visit the burn or stroke rehab
center at a local hospital.
Today you will meet someone wealthier, prettier, or
brighter than yourself. You will be tempted to envy her or him. Don't! God
doesn't ask you to be someone other than you are or to do things outside your
sphere of ability. He only expects you to use your gifts with integrity.
Today you may feel the need to whine, blame, or make
excuses for something that goes wrong. Don't! Take steps to put things right,
but avoid making yourself look small by ducking responsibility. Even if it
wasn't your fault, you will be bigger in your own eyes and everyone else's by
taking a positive rather than defensive posture.
When all has been said and done today, you may be
inclined to take either too much blame or too much credit. Don't! It may not
have been your best day, but it almost surely will not have been your worst
either. Submit it to God in prayer, and ask him to make the day count for his
purpose in your life.
As this New Year unfolds let’s keep things in
perspective.
Dear Lord, Thanks for the New Year You Have given to us.
Help us this year to come to You in everything and not jump to our own
conclusions. Thanks for caring and loving each of us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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