A Comedian on Conviction

I urge you to speak with conviction... you know what I mean?

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Persevero,

Scribe

Swine Flu

 

Courtesy of Student News Daily

From the School Library...

"On Studies"

An Essay by Sir Francis Bacon

"Studies serve for delight, for interest, and for ability.

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"Their chief use for delight is in privateness of retiring; for interest, is in conversation; and for ability, is in judgment and disposition of business.

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"To spend to much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for interest is affectation; to make judgment of them wholly by their rules is the quirk of a scholar.
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"Craft men condemn studies; simple men admire them; and wise men use them: for they do not teach their own use; but that is a wisdom outside of studies and above studies, won by observation.

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"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.

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"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

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"Reading makes a full man; conversation a ready man; and writing an accurate man.

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"And therefore, if a man write little, he had need of great memory; if he converse little, he had need of quick wit; and if he read little, he had need of much cunning, to seem to know what he doth not.

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"Histories make men wise; poets, witty; mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral philosophy, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend...

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"So if a man's mind be given to wandering, let him study mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his attention be called away ever so little, he must begin again: if his mind be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study logic; for that is the 'hair-splitter': if he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers' cases: so every weakness of the mind may have its own remedy."


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Persevero,
Scribe

Created for Work ~ Chapter 14 "Transported with Delight"

"Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like the violin."

~ John Lubbock

Ever hear the "If only I had this, I'd be happy" line before? I'm sure you have. I've heard it too, and sometimes, it has come from my lips. But did you ever stop to think what such a statement really reflects? It reflects greed. It reflects discontent and ungratefulness. It reflects the heart of a man who isn't delighting in the blessings God has already given him.

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Matthew 12:34 declares that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Just as a simple cough can alert doctors to the presence of a grave illness, words can be used to determine the state of a man's heart. This considered, such words as "If only I had this..." reflect a discontented and greedy heart. 

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So, what is the antidote for discontent and greed? What helps a heart to be truly "transported with delight", as Schultz terms it? Well, it can be summed up in one word: thankfulness. And, unfortunately, being thankful is nowhere as easy as it might sound. However, it is requisite to driving out greed and discontent: without a heart thankful to God, having a truly happy heart is impossible.

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When you begin feeling discontent getting a hold of you, the first thing to do is pray; next, begin listing, either in your mind or on paper, all of the blessings God has given you. This practice will not only banish the thoughts of discontentedness from your mind and heart, but it will strengthen your appreciation for everything God has bountifully provided you with.

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One way of practically putting to use the principle of thankfulness is by simply enjoying your food. Schultz says, "Have you ever tried putting a bite of food in your mouth then laying down your fork and not picking it up again until your mouth is empty? That's a challenge for me. Often, there's another full fork waiting in the air before I finish chewing the first. When I catch myself eating like that, it's a reminder that I'm not enjoying what I have. I'm greedily longing for more." 

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Another thing to consider is how quickly greed can blind a man to the truly valuable things of life. A man who wastes all his time pursuing things which aren't his soon loses sight of what he should be focused on. Instead of rejoicing in the bounties God has already bestowed, he looks longingly after other things which God has not seen fit to give him. He puts other stuff in the place of God. This stuff may not be bad in and of itself, but whenever we let "stuff" come before God, we are heading out into dangerous waters.

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Sometimes, God withholds certain things from us for our benefit. Something which we desperately desire may do us harm rather than good. Therefore, when God denies us something, we shouldn't grumble: rather, we should praise Him. God knows what is good for His children (Matt. 7:11). We would do well to trust Him in that, instead of fighting against His will in areas of our lives.

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Towards the end of chapter 14, Schultz says, "Thankful enjoyment of God's gifts is one remedy against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Whether it's food, clothes, your home, or your business, may you learn to take pleasure in what you have and thereby live thankful, contented, and joyful in your Father's presence."

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"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." 

~ 1 Timothy 6:17

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Persevero,

Scribe