Finding Yourself

The Heart. Do you feel yours beating?
The Soul. How pure is yours?
The Way. Where are you headed?
Life. Do you value it?
Truth. Want some real answers?
Faith. Do you believe?
Hope. What is your dream?
Love. Does anyone need it?
Peace. Can you keep it?
Death. Are you ready for it?

The heart is a fragile thing. It can be broken easily. A few words from your mouth can hurt someone so much that it can shatter their heart. The heart is like a balloon. Sharp words can cut through the heart, while a sharp needle can pop a balloon. Both things are fragile and both fear sharp objects. Words can be used as weapons that hurt people internally. Why hurt someone even if they have hurt you? Revenge is not the answer. Don't try to get even. Trust in the Lord, and he will help you (proverbs 20:20). Even in times of war, it is not necessary. Revenge is a disturbance in the peace.

Words form in the mind, but come from the heart. You will soon realize that everything you say follows you everywhere. People will start to whisper about how your mouth caused someone to suffer. Everyone will stop and stare at you. Others will avoid you because they will consider you dangerous. You must learn to choose your words with care. Even your tongue can cost you your life. He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity [misfortune] (Proverbs 21:23). A few simple words can cause a war and the death of many innocent lives. You may be ready to say those words, but are you ready to die yourself? Would you like to see the people you grew up with or knew suffer and die? Your words may be able to cause a war but it may not be able to stop it. Once something is in total chaos, it is likely to remain in total chaos. It will be difficult to send word out to everyone to stop. The problem is: Will they listen? Can words be that powerful? If they can start a war, will they be able to stop it too?

Words can hurt one's feelings, while others will endure it. Everyone has a different way of interpreting a message. A strong heart may be able to withstand many insults, but after time, you will soon find the heart to be very weak. Its barrier of kindness will soon melt down and you will discover that it can break into a thousand shards of glass. Once the kindness is gone, your heart is filled with hate. All that hatred can be unleashed upon you, who torment the lowly. It is you who torment yourself by distressing others. You let the hate rule your life. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).

Self-control. Where is it? Do not let yourself bring misery upon you and your neighbors. It is easy to hate, but can you love more than you hate? Let peace enter your heart. Follow your heart to do what is right. Life is valuable. It is priceless. Do not take someone else's life for they should not take yours. Help them believe that there is much more to life. Everyone has a mission in life. Look past the heart and right to the soul that is inside. Hope for what is right. Have faith in what you do. Do not bring people to the end of their journey. Their journey is not at its end yet and neither is yours.

Life is a gift. Some people don't see it that way and decide to throw it away. There are those who are dead, but deserve to live. Others, who are alive, should be thankful for being alive, but some just think nothing of life and throw it away. The dead mourn for the wasted life for they know how much life is worth. Those who just want to watch the world burn (from Batman: the Dark Knight) may deserve death, but death is the ultimate punishment. There is no coming back once wiped off the face of the earth unless by the will of God. Is it right to give a criminal over to Death because they murdered people? Perhaps, but then again, wouldn't that be revenge? Revenge or not, you do not release your anger to kill.

Evil only leaves a black mark in your soul, an ugly mark in your heart, a red mark on your hands, and a life of sin. Is that how you want it to be? You can change yourself now by doing good deeds. No matter how small the deed, it still counts as purifying yourself. It is never too late to change. Do not hide, but be truthful. Stand up for what is right and what you believe in. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). Once you start to lie, you will continue to lie. One lie will cover up the other and soon, your life will be made up of lies. Seek the truth or live a lie.

The world would be a better place if everyone loved each other as friends. Love endures all things. Love never fails. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). A pure heart leads to a clean soul. To have a clean soul is to have love in us always. Forever is forever. Life is not as short as you think it is. Even after death, that is just the beginning. Your soul goes up to heaven, where it will stay with the Father for eternity. Like everything else, believing without seeing has a reward. God gave us the best gift that is only possible through him. God granted us the gift of eternal life in heaven with him. Although love is the greatest, God's gift is the best because God is love. God's love is in his reward to us, so God presented us this gift out of his love for us. You are always in Him, and Him in you for He is the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6).