Three things.

Every year that goes by I hope for more and more clarity in life... the answers to so many questions that I've been waiting to discover. Three things I've found to be true: 1. The only thing that is certain is Jesus Christ... 2. I will never know every answer to every question in this life... 3. No matter how strongly I feel at a certain time about an opinion I have, I will always try to be open minded and realize that I can and probably will eventually change my mind.

Three things I've been trying to learn with little success is: 1. Humility... 2. Trying to resist the urge to judge... 3. Not letting selfish gain and the opinion of others drive my decisions, but love for God and concern for others. Yes, once I learn these things my life will be perfect! What a journey. I've discovered that even my dream of saving the world reeks of selfishness... in the dark corners of my heart is the desire to be praised, looked up to, honored when my life passes on. Why are we so worried about what others think?

Some verses that have humbled me recently:

11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11,12)

1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6: 1-8)

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4: 11,12)