I am acquainted with one particularly unhappy individual.
He spends a lot of time being angry at the world. He is unhappy with life, but it never seems to occur to him that some of his problems could be the result of his own behavior. A wise man once wrote that we all get exactly the kind of life that we choose, and to a great extent I believe that is true.I've talked to him many times over the years about the Lord, and what a difference he has made in my life. But he insists on alternating between a disbelief in God's existence and an anger towards God because he is unhappy with how his life has turned out. He feels that people have taken advantage of him, ripped him off, let him down, and cheated him. Sometimes I just want to say, "welcome to the club...it's called life."
My grandfather used to tell me that you were lucky if you could count your true friends on the fingers of one hand. Grandpa might have steered me wrong a few times, but he sure knew what he was talking about there. Most of the people we meet are more worried about themselves than anything else, and if you go through life searching for people you can trust with your heart, you will find yourself becoming bitter and disillusioned.
As the song says, "There's just not enough love in the world."
So what is a person to do to avoid a bitter outlook on life? I thought you'd never ask! Here are Skipper Dave's Six Tips for Sane Living:
- Don't expect too much. Jesus promised that we would have trouble in this world. If you're looking for a rose garden you might as well check out now.
- Give without expecting anything in return. God wants us to give to help others - with our time, our resources, our prayers - and there is no guarantee that any of it will be appreciated or reciprocated. But getting back is not the point anyway. Just give and let it go - God will bless you in due time, in his own way.
- Love unconditionally. This is hard, at least for me. I tend to want to judge people by their behavior before deciding if they are worthy of my love. This is wrong. I'm still working on it, and so should you.
- Put yourself last. I'm not saying you should be a doormat. If someone is seriously ripping you off, you have a right to stop it. But I'm talking about putting others first. Let your agenda become a lower priority, and you will find contentment creeping into your soul.
- Forgive. Let it go. Whatever they did to you doesn't matter any more. It is said that "the acid of bitterness does the most damage to the vessel in which it is contained." Life is too short to hang on to past offenses.
- Move on. We all make mistakes. We all blow it on a regular basis. Repent, forgive yourself, and ask God to help you move ahead. He is the God of new beginnings. Let him lead you into the future he has planned for you. The devil would love to see you stuck in the mire of your past mistakes. Don't give him that satisfaction!
