Friday, August 2, 2013

Do It Anyway!

Do It Anyway - Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

I recently read this poem and was reminded of how often I forget what life is really about.  So many times my perspective is colored by my finite view of things.  This caused me to once again ask myself the following questions:
What really matters in this life?  Why am I even here?  Who am I living to please?  

Wrestling with these questions help our perspective begin to change from finite to eternal.  When I begin to think about that which really matters, I am then motivated to live for Christ and the reality of His Kingdom.

His Kingdom may be unseen and we may struggle at times to understand how we are to function as a part of it, while living in this earthly kingdom, but we must not forget that it is the Kingdom of God that we must live for and "seek first."

I love the end of this poem and think it basically sums up life "You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God."  We will all stand before Him one day and give account for what we did with the life He has given us.

May we think more about Him and less about our circumstances, critics, fans, enemies, excuses and problems.  "It was never between you and them anyway."