My dad was always happy. He prayed, studied the Bible, and worked hard to obey every commandment. He trusted the Lord for his finances. He always tried to love others and he always praised the Lord and gave thanks for all things. He had created his own garden of Eden. And everyone can do what he did and at least improve their life. The # 1 thing keeping us from paradise is we don't believe. Dad believed the Bible. Every word. He thought following it would make his life great. I thought I was smarter than my dad. I chased money, success and pleasure. Then this year on my 10,000th day of frustration, I tried it his way. He was right. Pray: Father, take away my love of pleasure and help me to know Your Word” (the Bible). Secondly, he obeyed the Bible. Today is new years eve. Will we start the year sober like my dad or will we choose a long night of partying? Have a drink or 2 if that's your style. Then decide if you want to see if you can be happy like my dad. If you want to be like him, be the life of the party. But do it in moderation. Obedience is hard. But it leads to a great life. My daughter and I went to a wedding reception. People were getting drunk and having a great time. We were not getting drunk and we acted 90% as crazy as they did, and we had a great time. Don't buy into satan's lies that sin will make you happy. His solution is short term and is filled with trouble. But the point of this has nothing to do with drinking. The point is we need to start living right in order to live right. We have a good excuse to sin today, it's new years eve. Then a good reason for some other sin tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. But we can have a great reward if we start living right today. Lastly, I realize that this article is just a pipe dream if your life is horrible right now. But still... your life will improve if you live like my dad. Tomorrow I will write about how we can keep others from ruining our lives, and other things that my dad did to give himself a bit of paradise.
I would've appreciated having your dad to look up to when I was growing up. I hope to be at least 1/4 as good a example as your dad someday
You had a great father and you were blessed in that way for sure. My father was much the same. He was very wise and was able to explain difficult subjects to me, be they religious or secular. I miss him greatly but I know he is in heaven, completely healed and living in the shinning light of Christ. In that position, I feel he is with me even more than he was when on earth. I know my father wasn't perfect, like any other human. However, I expect his imperfections were not nearly as deep and extensive as mine have been. It is very humbling to consider how well my father adhered to the things he believed in. He lived a life of integrity. Frankly, I have no excuse for my sinful behavior. I was given every opportunity and blessing that anyone would need to avoid the sins I have committed. There is no excuse for all I have done, I can only try to live the rest of my life as my father lived his.
Really? sexual revolution since the 60s, the US law allowing free almost limitless access to porn and alowing sex industry , magazines, movies, payTVs ... writing , showing for decades sex scenes or promoting sex liberation etc. Many people in rank, ruling and having sacks of money are responsible and what a teenager or even a child is able to do to not fall in the snares?
I was raised a Catholic by loving, fervent Catholic parents. We never missed a Sunday or Holy day mass. I attended Catholic schools with religion classes every school day. Even at the age of 12, I knew what I did was sinful and I willingly did it anyway. I would like to agree with you that I am the victim of a corrupt society and that I was exposed to porn at a vulnerable, hormone fueled age. However, I have always known what I was doing was wrong. I not only didn't resist, I didn't want to resist. I have no one to blame but myself.
I think that God had Eve eat an apple as the first sin on purpose. It was a minor sin, not like murder or rape. But I think He wanted it to be a minor sin to show that two huge problems with sin are separation from God, and a lack of faith that God's way is best. So, if we want to return to paradise, we need to believe that “All sin” will ruin our return. And... we will fail in our quest to stamp out all sin, but if we make a dedicated quest to go to war with sin, we will start to make progress. The more we make progress, the more the light comes on that God's way is best. There is one thing I have noticed. The people on this site that work the hardest are the people that have hundreds of clean days in. Why? The light is coming on that God's way is best. Secondly, their life is now way better than it was before, and they want to keep it that way. Adam and Eve needed to believe God. They didn't. They chose an apple over paradise. Do we need to be told that every sin ruins our life? Eating an apple ruined theirs. Pray:” Father, show me the consequences of my sin.” Many reading this want to believe but... The Bible says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord. Read your Bible and watch Youtube sermons on how to quit sin habits. Take notes and work on the changes you read and hear about, and your faith will grow. Lastly, people that spend the most time working on their addiction every day, succeed the most on average. And people who go to war with sin the most, succeed the most in returning to the Garden of Eden.
No, God did not lead Adam and Eve to sin, nor did He want them to sin. Adam and Eve lived a very long time ago but they did live and were real human beings. God has incredible love for humans, as His creation, and that love does not include a desire for us to be unhappy. The apple which Eve ate, in direct defiance of God, may be a metaphor for many things, including sex. We don't know, but all will be clear when we get to heaven. Nevertheless, when one considers all of the gifts God bestows on us, not the least of which is mercy from the punishments we deserve, it is clear God loves us unconditionally and that He wants us to find happiness. Even the suffering humans endure due to injury or illness can be a loving and gratifying sacrifice for our Precious Lord.
You are correct. I meant to say: God knew they would sin that day, and the choice of sin would be a lesson to all of us. There is a Catholic expert on Quora who said: "We are told what the fruit was—”knowledge of good and evil”. Specifically, having their own ideas about what is “good” and what is “evil” rather than trusting in God’s wisdom and moral law. That was the Original Sin—and in a way, it’s the only sin. Each and every sin is a human being saying, “God, you say this is bad… but I know better,” just as the Serpent urged Eve to do. Every sin is a grotesque inversion of Christ’s prayer of submission: “Not thy will, but my own will be done.” Wow, thanks for your comment. I think his comments are my topic for tomorrow. Lastly, Christ's prayer of submission is "Not my will, but Yours be done." For those who are new to the faith.
Very well said and thank you for quote from that Catholic expert, very helpful. May Our Precious Lord bless you today and everyday with His healing grace and blissful peace.
