At the high school where I teach, we just started a new quarter of studies. Some of my students were disappointed in their schedule of classes, because the subject doesn’t seem interesting, the assignments will be hard, or they don’t have any friends as classmates. I tried to encourage them with advice I have to remind myself at times: Don’t let the longing for what you don’t have, keep you from making the most of what you do have. Life is made of relationships, decisions, and moments—foremost with God then with others. So with every class, every job, every task, and every opportunity there is something good to be given and to be gained if you are willing to grow.
Ask God to help you see what is good, right, and loving and then align your attitude and actions with that. Making those kind of changes takes faith and work, especially since you will face opposition in our fallen world of broken people. But don’t grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:7-10). Find rest, peace, and renewal by humbly relying on God rather than yourself. Let him guide and empower you (Matthew 11:28-30). During hardship, trust him to train you and to sustain you through it (Hebrews 12:7-11). Here is a poem I wrote along this theme. I hope it speaks to your heart and inspires you to live justly, joyfully, and abundantly by loving God and letting his love overflow in you to others (Matthew 22:36-40; 1 John 4:7-12).
Choose Good
Consider your life like a garden with trees,
Where choices blossom, where destinies plea,
God’s wisdom whispers through the breeze,
A joy that echoes, a truth that frees.For man, in his quest to sow and reap,
Sojourn with care, his actions keep,
For mocking God is a treacherous game,
Where rebellious sparks bear eternal flame.Selfish desire, a tempting lure,
A siren’s call, demise ensured,
But heed the warning, let wisdom guide,
Lest destruction’s fire shall ever reside.Yet, in the Eden of your soul,
A choice exists, a test unfolds,
To sow with God’s Spirit, to seek his light,
To accept his will, to obey what’s right.Let not weariness cloud your sight,
In doing good, persist and fight,
For at the proper time, a harvest awaits,
God’s gift of glory, with which nothing equates.So seize each opportunity, God opens,
To seed good, to serve, to mend,
For in the grace of God’s embrace,
You find the strength to run life’s race.And as you tread this earthly sod,
Let love be your compass, your guide be God,
For in his doing, in his giving,
Your soul will blossom in joyful living.