"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
We do need other people in our lives whether we think so or not. People can pull us down but they can also build us up. It depends on who you work with or who your friends are. Everyone has influence, whether it is good or bad.
The trick is to pick the right kind of friends. Good friends will be encouragers and people we need in our lives. Bad friends become bad influence and drain you of the good in you.
Here is some good advice. "Do not make friends with a hot tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." Proverbs 22:25-26.
It's the same way with people we work with. We don't have a choice to pick who we must work with most of the time. Some people with whom we must work are fun to be with. But, some are very difficult to work with. They may be moody, or lazy, or just plain morale busters. They may be gossipers or back-biters. But, you still have to work with them if you want a job.
So what should you do if you find yourself in a job like that or around people like that? First, don't be like the other people. Work hard and do more than expected of you and don't be a complainer. Always do what is right regardless of what others do. Don't be a gossiper or a tale bearer. Treat everyone alike. Show respect to all. And, don't give the enemy ammunition against you.
Is this easy to do? No! But when we are paid to do a job, give it your best. Look for ways to make things better. Be a good example setter, and be a pacesetter.
Life is a test. We are always being tested. We are tested in patience and endurance. We are tested in our talents and skills. We are tested in our relationships with other people. We are tested in our marriages. We are tested in our financial dealings. And the number one, our character, is always being tested. If we fail the test, the consequences can be bad.
The good news is that as human beings we can overcome almost anything we put our minds to. I have used this saying for years; "I can put up with the things I don't like, so I can do and have the things I do like." That may not make sense to you, but it works for me!
There are no perfect times or seasons in our lives. Each has both good and bad times. Each age and season has times that it was easier or harder. The hard times are the times of molding our character. The choices or decisions we made were not always the best, but we did make them.
Success comes to those who seek it and work for it. Failure comes to those who blame others and seek something for nothing.
Chaplain Bud
Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds or permit others to establish for us.
People sometimes feel they are trapped in life with no chance for advancement or change. This can be true to a certain extent, unless we truly believe in change. Yes, change if you always do what you've always have done, you will always have what you always had. That is so true.
In life, we call this lifestyle a rut. Someone has said that a rut is a grave with both ends kicked out. The good news is that you can get out of a rut. It takes effort, and sometimes sacrifice, but it can be done. We need not to remain victims of the rut.
The way to eliminate limitations is to see possibilities. It may mean changing jobs, more education, moving to a new community or state, or giving up hobbies or things you like to do for a time. This will take determination and planning. However, there is always a cost to change.
Self confidence is the first requirement to a major change. If others can do it, so can you. You are the key player, so prepare for the challenge. Someone told me once, "Life will pay you what you think you are worth." I have never forgotten it. You build self confidence by taking risks and learning from your failures. We learn very little from success but a great deal from failure.
Satisfaction comes from trying, not from just thinking. But, never the less, the greatest possibilities come from ideas. But every good idea needs action. The simplest idea is what gave us our cars. Henry Ford took his idea of a wagon that was self-propelled and made it work. It did not happen overnight or without cost or many failures, but he believed in his idea.
The electric light and the telephone came from an idea. The cell phone or email had to start somewhere. The man with an idea must believe in it first and even after others give up, they keep going.
So, the purpose of this article is to be an encouragement to any and all people who read it. I believe God's greatest gift to His creation, next to eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, is our mind. It gives man the capacity to think and produce. The mind controlled by a good heart is limitless. Men and women have made this world a better place because they used their minds to its greatest advantage. Yes, some use their minds for evil, but believe more use them for good than bad.
Don't let the world set your boundaries. Dream some dreams, accomplish your goals, let your life reach its greatest potential, and you will come to the end truly fulfilled.
The true meaning for life is to find purpose and enjoy that purpose.
Chaplain Bud