Seven "Whatevers" Would Do Wonders

 When I started this blog a few years back, I determined in my mind that what I wrote about would be consistent with the Bible's exhortation in Philippians 4:8.  Let's revisit the passage in NIV:  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I might have stumbled a few times along the way but I am as determined as ever.  Think about it,  "out of the abundance of heart (mind), the mouth speaketh."  Soon, whatever a man thinks, he acts upon.  There is hardly one does that is not thought about beforehand.  The earnest advice of the Apostle Paul makes a lot of sense then.  Let us dissect it.

"Whatever is True"

Imagine if there are no lies being spread around; if no rumours being heralded as verified information.  We would be more trusting in one another; more confident and less skeptical.

"Whatever is Noble"

Think about honesty and charity; high morals and ideals.  If these qualities characterize our dealings with our fellowmen, imagine the kind of society in which we live.  See what I mean?

"Whatever is Right"

No, I am not referring to "man doing what is right in his own eyes" right, but rather objective right - the rightness that transcends cultures and preferential boundaries; the one that has universal acceptability and we know instinctively as right and affirmed by the Word of God, the Scriptures.

"Whatever is Pure"

Intentions are springboards of our actions.  Motives that are adulterated by self-promotion and aggrandizement are not Christlike.  In the same Letter, Paul says, "He emptied Himself..."  He sought out and worked for the interest of others.  Purity is also tied in holiness.  "But just as He who called you is  holy, be holy in all you do", exhorts Peter.

"Whatever is lovely"

Anything that inspires love, affection and admiration.  That which would make one morally and spiritually attractive, let your mind be saturated in it.

"Whatever is admirable"

A quality or characteristic which is worthy of adoration, love, and respect.  A virtue that is sought after and inspires.

"Whatever is Praiseworthy"

Let your mind dwell on reasons to adore and worship God for above all.  Emphasize the positive qualities of one another and talk about these instead.

Our society would be entirely different if we heeded Paul's exhortation, would you not agree?  Now let's change our world and let's start with ourselves.

What's so Sinister about Suicide?

What’s so Sinister about Suicide?

 Right off the bat, I’d like to say that I am not going to talk about the politics of this issue.  I don’t even mind if you call it “Dying with Dignity”, “Death with Honour”, “Assisted Suicide”, “Mercy Killing”or “Euthanasia”.  This is an issue that we cannot ignore, and I for one, will not just sweep it under the rug pretending it’s trivial.  Much of what I am going to write here is my personal view on the subject and although I will try to make it as consistent as possible with my current understanding of the Scriptures, there are professing Christians out there who may not necessarily share my convictions, hence, I will not be presumptuous and claim that this is THE Christian or THE Biblical Perspective.

Recently, in our Berean Forum, we talked about this in greater depth than what I’d care to write about here.  We presented the topic not to be controversial (although inevitable), but to ultimately answer the question, “What does the Scripture say?”  Why do we even care?  Well, there are more and more incidents of suicide that hug our Dailies’ headlines  and radio talk show hosts are having a field day.  The recent death of a luminary athlete comes to mind.  I remember driving to and from work and constantly hearing about it as I listened to the radio. This went on for days.  I reckon the Christian community should honestly address the issue.

Alright then, address the issue we must.

God is the Source of life. That’s indubitable truth.  It is then His sole prerogative to decide when to terminate it.  We can end the discussion right here, but let’s not.

The word suicide is derived from two Latin words “sui” (oneself) and “cidium” (slaying or killing).  Suicide is, therefore, rightly defined as “the act of intentionally killing oneself.  It is in other words “self-murder”.

We can now see that suicide is putting the decision on man’s hand to put an end to life.  Cited earlier, we said that God has that sole right and it appears that the Scriptures indicate He has not delegated that decision to man.  So let me state it clearly:  Man has absolutely no right to put an end to life. If he does he commits murder. “No exceptions?”, you ask.  I believe so.

Consider the following:

Jesus said,  I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.(John 10:10NIV)  His ministry was centered on setting people free from bondage and oppression, healing, comforting, bringing the dead to life, and imparting hope to the despairing even as He preached and taught about the kingdom of God.  Jesus wants us to celebrate life.  To kill and destroy is the work of darkness but eternal life is His gift to us.

Suicide is never a solution.  It comes from the pit of hell and smells like smoke.  It is plain and simple murder.  One of the Ten Commandments clearly states, "Thou shalt not kill".

Are you tired of life? Jesus invites you to come to Him and He will provide the much-needed  rest that refreshes your soul (Matt. 11:28).

To Vote or Not?

I live in Ontario. It’s an election-prone province, in fact, we will have one in October – on the 6th to be exact. I don’t know how many political parties there are but Liberal, Conservative, and NDP are the top three in the running. Now and then, I hear about the Green Party and even a Communist Party, so there you go, Ontarians have plenty of options.




But on what do you base your vote?



People I know, and many Ontarians are apathetic towards political parties. They feel betrayed because of broken promises, incompetence, and opportunistic acts by politicians. They feel insulted when people who are running for office make statements and claims under the guise of promoting their constituents’ welfare when in reality, they just want to be elected and embed themselves in positions of power and influence. So, to much of this, the response of the voting public has been despondency and apathy.



Can my vote make a difference?



One of the hallmarks of democracy is suffrage. People in power are there because we put them there by exercising or not exercising our right to vote. Someone said “we get the government we deserve”. If our society is governed by oppression, incompetence, or gross corruption, let us look to ourselves because our decision to be indifferent, or to resort to inaction, unlocks the door of opportunity for these undeserving individuals to be our leaders.



To answer the questions I posed above, I say:



Let us base our vote on people who, or party that, value our convictions. Let us exert reasonable effort to know what they stand on. Whenever possible, let us get to know them as individuals, for whether they care to admit it or not, their decisions as political leaders will have lasting repercussions on our lives as Ontarians and Canadians.



Yes, your single vote can make a difference. It may only be a ripple but ripples get noticed, and change the aquatic texture of even the boundless oceans.