Jordan Peterson: 12 Rules For Life, Rule 3, and Rule 4. Pages: 67 - 111 Instigator: Verna
Instigation Deadline: EOD - 12/09/18
Response Deadline: EOD - 12/30/18
Get us started Verna with some great comments!
Saturday, December 8, 2018
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14 comments:
Hi All, It is go time for rules 3 and 4. Here is my take:
Life Rule #3. Make Friends With People Who Want The Best For You
Some of my favorite quotes from this chapter:
“Aiming Upward”
“Make better Ruts”
“Traveled a long distance, but had gone nowhere at all” (in regard to Jordan and his friends trip to Edmonson)
“Delinquency spreads”
“A villain who despairs of his villainy has not become a villain. A hero is something positive, not just the absence of evil.”
“faulty tools produce faulty results”
I hung around a lot of delinquents when I was young. I was wayward, didn’t have a lot of direction from my parents and, to be honest, I did not have any significant amount of internal focus, discipline or intellect. Ultimately, long story, I was introduced to a different way of life, through a church and people of faith. With the bit of discipline my parents instilled in me and by the grace of God, I started aiming upward. Not only spiritually, but toward, hard work, education, evaluating my strengths and establishing a personal set of goals and values. During my short time of “delinquency” and when I was vacillating between my searching for purpose and continuing to go nowhere at all, I tried to spread good behavior, discipline, values with the “delinquents” I would have contact with, to no avail.
What are your thoughts on Jordan’s opinion about bad behavior? His story about Ed and his friend coming to his and his sister’s apartment is pretty definitive. Surround yourself with healthy and sober people who are aiming upward, making better ruts in their life. People who are striving to live higher on the hierarchy of life. People living up to their capabilities. These are the people who you want in your life. Some may say that this is not what Jesus taught, preached and lived. But I disagree. Jesus wants us to share, be open to, bless, not be “afraid” of people who are living toxic lives. I believe we should assist where we can, get our hands dirty, so to say, in living a life of mission and purpose, but when it comes to who we join in making our ruts with and who we strive higher with, it should be people on similar level of live with the same values, hopes and interest.
What did you think when Jordan asked the rhetorical question: How do you know our attempt to pull someone upward, won’t bring the down?
Dostoevsky’s confession/The Underground Man-a very sad story that’s all. made me think of Jeremiah 17:9.
What are your motives for wanting to help rescue people?
Do people want to be rescued?
If you assume that everything terrible that happens to someone just happens on its own, you take away the beauty, strength, “power” of that person.
Life Rule #4. Compare Yourself To Who You Were Yesterday, Not Who Not To Who Someone Else Is Today
We raised our kids in a small town. They had great opportunities. Everything from being involved with community theater, 4th of July Parades, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, dance recitals, and getting cool jobs like working at the local winery, Bed and Breakfast and Tropical Snow. In school, they were part of every organization and sports team. There really were no paths they couldn’t take or at least had exposure to. I believe they are better women today. Better humans, citizens, colleagues and partners because they had these opportunities.
I was raised in a large and growing suburb outside of Detroit. My high school had over 5000 students. It was housed on a large sprawling campus with 2 large high school buildings, Plymouth Salem and Plymouth Canton. I regularly had classes at both buildings, having to sprint back and forth from class to class, never really placing roots in either school. It was the most talented, intelligent, ambitious and network connected students who were awarded parts in the theater plays, got into AP classes, played school organized sports, were in band, choir and orchestra, and who were part of student counsel. This left a large number of kids (who may have had talent, smarts, and wit) out structure and insecurity. With my average intelligence, average to low ambitious nature, freaking messed up family, I was awarded the opportunity to hang out in the “South Mall” with the delinquents. I have to say, I shinned out there. My fun personality and my average intelligence along with (compared to most) some core values, I was one to watch. I was even approached one time by an upperclassman that hung out on the second floor where the preps hung out. We started talking and walking around the 1st floor together, but when we got to the flight of stairs that went to the 2nd floor or the door that went out to the south mall, we parted. As, you can expect, that relationship didn’t go anywhere.
There really is no point to this story, except to say, I agree with Jordan. My daughters had many more opportunities to enjoy the serotonin fueled confidence of a victor. According to Jordan, “people in small towns are statistically over represented among the eminent.”
Quotes/thoughts:
“Who cares if you are Prime Minister of Canada when someone else is President of the United States”
“We are not equal in ability or outcome and never will be”
“Everything you value is a product of unimaginable lengthy developmental processes, personal, cultural and biological”
Thoughts on this Rule
Don’t be an Adult-two-year-old
“Discipline is a well forged tool” “More than a dogma… it's a purpose”
The elements of being are “desire and need”
“Don’t be blinded by your desires”
Take the “commands” of the “thou shalt not” of the 10 commandments and transform them into the “blessed” of the sermon on the mount
Lastly, don’t “hold on to your desires so tight that you can’t see what you really need”
This rule/chapter’s summary could be live deliberately, pay attention, focus on what is around you. If you have nothing that you feel you need to fix in your life “aim low” find something. Search for something you need to fix and fix it. Stop maneuvering, calculating and conniving , scheming and enforcing and demanding and avoiding and ignoring and punishing. Live in the present. Sacrifice what you need to so that you can pursue the highest good. Be patient. Trust God
Hello!
Sorry I'm late to the party :)
Here are my thoughts on the next two chapters, they are a little rushed (just trying to fit this into naptime). I agree a lot with what Peterson says especially in offering yourself small rewards to better yourself: i.e "Jessica, if you workout you can have a glass of wine :P"
Chapter 3:
I agree with your thoughts on Jesus wanting to surround ourselves with good people. I think (throwing it back to the last few chapters) that in a sense if we have reached a point in our lives where we are "higher on the heirarchy" so to speak than we have an obligation to utilize our resources for those in need whatever that may be, but at the end of the day the people we confide in and seek council from should be people who are equally trying to improve and better themselves.
I think he mentioned that it's impossible to guide or council someone who does not yet want to be guided, but I also think it's important to just put it out there that you're available and to plant the seed of improvement.
A one off thought about how people from small towns experience more victories: This has been on my mind since I now live in a town bigger than the one I grew up in and have a child, my "goal" so to speak for her is to find places where she CAN experience those wins and have more confidence if it doesn't end up being in the regular school system. Just have to look harder for opportunity :)
Chapter 4
I love his demonstration of the conversation you should have with yourself and then once you have proved successsful, have that same conversation with others in your life. I do think we (or maybe its just me) have to be careful of what we think will "make our lives better" I have a tendency to be material minded so often I get caught in the cycle of "well if I just had this, or could go do that thing my life would be better." For me at least this opens up comparison to others and more disappointment. I guess maybe his point is instead of dwelling on things you don't have, put together a plan of sorts to achieve whatever that is. His example of the room with all of the random papers is all too accurate to my life lol He's so right though in that as soon as you read just a little bit, the pile seems smaller. I think the saying, "the best antidote to anxiety is action" is very fitting here.
I got a little lost in his discussion of the New Testament God vs Old Testament God, mostly because he sort of misses the mark on the whole point of the gospel and claims that our works are what get us into heaven, maybe I missed something there though so please feel free to clear me up there!
I like my mom's summary! I think essentially we just need to choose friends wisely and quit comparing ourselves to others. No one else is going on our journey.
Thoughts on Rule 3. I jump around a bit.
Verna. I to liked some of JPs quotables also. Especially the ruts one. Loved your notes from personal experience. I know you also told one of the school cops that you wanted to get out of your “bad ruts.” You were truly a person who took personal initiative and responsibility to raise your trajectory. Great story!!!
Regarding his story about his friends and not wanting to have a better life. Embracing failure. I agree. There are definitely people like that. Also, having grown up in a small town I very much relate to his experience. My experience was way more positive but I could relate to what he was saying.
I liked this rules advice. It was straightforward.
From Verna. “How do you know our attempt to pull someone upward, won’t bring them down?” I agree it is a risk to consider.
I liked Verna’s thoughts about helping others but also surrounding ourselves with positive people is spot on. It is not necessarily and either or thing.
His example of in the work place of the negative impacts of adding a “bad” worker to a good team rings true.
I think for some people some of the bad or fake reasons he gives for why people chose to hang out with “bad” people are true. I find that at my age for the most part I hang out with people who are my family which I really like and people who can help me or whom I can help and they generally want my help. This is mostly what happens at work but in some cases in personal life as well. And sometimes we just want to have fun together.
He really gets cranked up starting at page 80.
I tend to like this. “…if you buy the story that everything terrible just happened on its own, with no personal responsibility on the part of the victim, you deny that person all agency in the past (and, by implication, in the present and future, as well). In this manner, you strip him or her of all power.” I liked how Verna referred to this as “taking away the beauty, strength and power of people.” Well said.
I’d like to ready the Dostoevsky book.
I feel people deserve help and we should be willing to help when it is within our power to do so. But, I do agree that if someone is not seeking help it might be a worthless or even detrimental to help. As he describes it can be very tricky to sort these things out and one should be thoughtful. I fear people might use this chapter to exonerate themselves from the obligation to help others. I think that would be a mistake. We just have to be smart about it. He notes this on the top of page 82.
I liked Jessica’s “plant the seed” concept. I think it is spot on.
I also like when Jessica said “we have an obligation to utilize our resources for those in need whatever that may be, but at the end of the day the people we confide in and seek council from should be people who are equally trying to improve and better themselves.” She was riffing on Verna and she extended the point very elegantly and succinctly. I liked it.
To add to that, I think the younger a person is the better chance you have to help them. As people get older it gets harder to help and more likely that they are accepting and even embracing failure in the ways JP described. Younger people are often more open to a better way.
I liked Jessica bringing out the small town with more small victories references. This is exactly why we chose to raise our kids in Newton. I always felt this was on the top end of a town size wise for raising kids. That being said I think a very intentional parent can find ways to make this happen in a larger community as Jessica suggests but it will take more work. I feel like Colby’s family had some experience in this space by getting the boys involved in things like snowmobiling. Colby won a Snowmobile race in Cedar Rapids!
On page 83 I agree that in many situations if you really start to improve yourself it can make things uncomfortable for those around you. All the more reason to surround yourself with people who want the best for you.
More thoughts to come on chapter 4.
Jessica I just want to say that I love your summary, perspective. I really don't need to say anything else. Your writing is enjoyable and I appreciate that you as a young mother are on a journey of your own. But please know that most of us have been on that journey and we've got your back. I love your perspective about new testament old testament God. You're right Jordan, I think, being a person of general faith and not committed faith has a more liberal Viewpoint of faith and salvation. But I still go back to the fact that he understands The Human Condition and has great ideas to help. I like that we can take those and compare them to a Biblical and Godly way of life and apply them as we believe best.
Thoughts on rule 4
I liked Verna’s story of her experience in High School. I learned a couple things. Who was this upper classman you were hanging out with anyway? I know when Verna was a senior she transferred to a much smaller school. I think it would be interesting for Verna to describe that experience. Also, did reading JP cause you to change your perspective on those experiences?
I really liked Jessica’s quote, “quit comparing ourselves to others. No one else is going on our journey.” It captures much of thought of this rule well. It goes well with JPs statement on 92, “…the successful adult…must learn how to be just the right amount of different from everyone else.
Some observations / thoughts.
• Page 86 – Life is not a zero sum game.
• Page 87 - Value judgements. It’s not possible to take action or make choices without making a value judgement.
• We will inevitably come up short if we compare ourselves to others.
• Page 88 - I liked his idea that we should play more than one game or switch games if the one we are playing isn’t working so well.
• Also like the quote “…growing might be the most important form of winning.”
• Loved this quote on page 91, “When you have something to say, silence is a lie.”
I liked his concept / thought experiment of stepping back and looking at yourself on two levels. One part of yourself sets the expectations and the other has to live up to them. If we set the wrong expectations, resentment and disaster is likely to result.
Page 93 JP does a nice job of presenting one of many conflicts of being human. “We can envision new ways that things could be better.” “The advantages of this are obvious: we can change the world so that the intolerable state of the present can be rectified in the future.” “…the disadvantage…chronic unease and discomfort.”
I liked his solution for this quandary which I summarize as take stock of your challenges and then gently and strategically work with yourself to begin to address the issues based on YOUR values. That part is important per what he mentioned early that as adults we are each unique. I also liked that he encouraged focus on small incremental change and to be gentle with yourself. Don’t be a “tyrant.” I feel this is very good advice.
Page 98 He talks about how we tend to see what we are focused on and obvious threats that pop up but other than that we ignore much that is out there. “You’re blind to everything else (and there’s a lot of everything else – so you’re very blind).” I agree with that. Also, Verna and I both watched the Dr. Daniel Simons selective attention test on you tube and we both totally experienced the blindness described. If you forgot the details on this item it might be worth trying it. Just follow the instructions in the video. It’s fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
All this discussion on “blindness” serves to reinforce his focus of this rule which I think is - don’t focus on how you stack up with others but rather look for small ways to improve yourself each day. It gives hope that there may be lots of ways to improve yourself each day. Bottom of page 98 “Since we have ignored so much…” because we may have focused on the wrong things…”there is plenty of possibility left where you have not yet looked.” I find this wonderfully encouraging.
He suggests as a solution to this “problem” that we humans only see what we are focused on is to generalize our focus. Rather than saying my goal is to “have my boss’ job” I should say “I want to make my life better.” This will open up a broad cornucopia of things we might do that we were missing before because of our narrow focus. I think I now get the prize for the first person to use the word cornucopia. Which was the main thing I was focused on in this book club which JP would probably say was too narrow of focus. Wow. I’m learning and getting better even as I type this. I have definitely nailed rule 4.
This whole idea of changing what you are aiming for as a first step to changing our life, my life, for the better reminds me of the book “The Shack” that some of us read a few years back. The protagonist was trying to figure out how find and kill quail. I order to find them had to change how he was looking for them and interestingly enough when he was hunting quail he found a more generalized method more successful. He looked for the shape of the quail not the details of the quail.
Starting from about page 98 to the end of the chapter I think my brain exploded because looking back I think I underlined something in each paragraph except like 2 and I wrote in almost every margin.
I should read “Crime and Punishment”
“You can only find out what you actually believe (rather than what you think you believe) by watching how you act. You simply don’t know what you believe, before that. You are too complex to understand yourself.” This seems self-evidently true, but I am interested to know if anyone has a different perspective. I feel this has profound implications on a personal level and makes me think I should take regular inventory on how I act and what I believe.
He has some notes on the Bible and religion, what it means and that it is fundamental to us. Eric and I were talking off line and Eric indicated that he thought JP was misunderstanding the Bible significantly. I hope I’m not misrepresenting that Eric. But I’m hoping you can expand on your thoughts on that. Jessica, in her post said, “…he sort of misses the mark on the whole point of the gospel and claims that our works are what get us into heaven…” Eric, is that the point you are getting at as well? My perspective: there are lots of imperatives in the Old and New Testament to do and act right. I have been trying to focus, for example, on Paul’s imperative to transform your mind (although that might have been thought of as “let God transform your mind”). These types of imperatives are in the New Testament and fit his narrative and JP calls them out but to Jessica’s point he kind of misses the headline which is justification comes by faith not works. Jesus and the New Testament talk about grace and truth (John 1:14). As a general point one could say that JP overemphasizes truth and underestimates the importance of grace. But maybe our society tends to do the reverse and JP’s perspective could be a good counter balance.
On page 102 JP kind of describes the religious life as starting with a set of rules and practices which lays a foundation but that is simply a foundation from which the devotee operates in order move toward or aim at a deeper more meaningful purpose. This kind of resonates with me. There are helpful disciplines and practices like prayer, and bible reading, and attending church but their point is that they lead to a deeper and fulfilling relationship with God. What do people think?
JP also talked about a religious person being more concerned with being good rather than evil as opposed to concerned with being right verses wrong. I kind of dug that as well. What do folks think about that?
I really liked his observation of the “tendency for modern people to think, when confronted with Jehovah, ‘I would never believe in a God like that.’” I have heard at least one and I think a couple different religious leaders / pastors say those words. At the time I thought it was a ridiculous point of view. If God as we roughly conceive of God is a real thing what difference does it make if we believe in Him/Her. He and His character exist independent of our beliefs. I thought JP hit the nail on the head when he says the authors of the Old Testament thought of Him and wrote of Him as a “… Force of Nature. Is a hungry lion reasonable, fair or just? What kind of nonsensical question is that?” You can believe that a lion’s character is like that of a lamb because it suits your world view better but it won’t change the fact that in the morning when you meet him in the way, when you naively go to pat him on the head or cuddle with him he will rip your guts your and eat your brains.
My big take away from this at a personal level, and do note that I think this is how JP intended this book to be taken, as advice for personal improvement. I think people draw policy implications from this book and in other venues he does seem to opine on policy issues of free speech etc. But I think this book is fundamentally a book on personal self-improvement. Anyway my big take away from this and this is very much from the lens of a Jesus follower and not completely what JP would say. We are each are worth saving, no matter what our deepest bad thoughts are and no matter what our deepest negative actions are / have been. So, most / all Christians take this as a basic tenant. But the implication is that if I, for some strange reason, were the only human being to exist in the world with these nasty and deplorable thoughts and actions as a part of my character, Jesus would have still incarnated Himself, found a way to sacrifice himself, perhaps by triggering me to murder Him similar to what He did to the Jewish leaders of the early first century, and raised him-self from the dead in order to justify my pathetic existence. In order to make it meaningful. Therefore, if the Creator thinks so highly of me to make it clear that my life matters. My single solitary life all by itself so important that He puts the entire universe into play over it. Since that is all true, then, despite my short comings, it only makes sense that I set my sights a little higher today than I did yesterday, to think a little more broadly about my place in the world than I did yesterday. I am supremely worthy of redemption. I am supremely worthy of a higher aim. Each one of us should think about ourselves this way and each day strive to “transform our mind” to be just a little more in line with the nobility and worth that God by His actions has ascribed to us. Every day do something to improve yourself.
I liked this quote on page 109. “Set yourself on the betterment of Being. Align yourself, in your soul, with Truth and the Highest Good. There is habitable order to establish and beauty to bring into existence. There is evil to overcome, suffering to ameliorate, and yourself to better.”
WARNING!!!! The beginning of chapter 6 is brutal!
--- A PAUSING THOUGHT ---
I just want to pause and say, I'm so grateful to be a part of this discussion. As I was reading everyone's comments, I couldn't help but wonder to myself what a book study like this would look like with my family... I'm not sure if anyone would truly engage. Props to you Chrisopther's for engaging - this is great. Thanks for letting me join :-)
--- A FEW THOUGHTS ON OTHER'S COMMENTS ---
-> John literally said, "he will rip your guts and eat your brains" in his post... LOL!!! 🤣
-> I love Jessica & Verna's discussion on parenting/mothering... simply makes me smile 😊
--- MY THOUGHTS ON CHAPTER 3 ---
-> Aim is so important. It influences everything... how you see the world, how you see others, how you see God.
-> I want to do this: make a list of friends who make me feel powerful & want the best for me. Also, make a list of 'friends' who do the opposite. I think it's important to remember, "It's a good thing, not a selfish thing, to choose people who are good for you."
-> "A hero is something positive, not just the absence of evil." Reminds me of a Bible study I did in college - we were discussing sanctification. In Christ, not only are we forgiven, but we are also gifted His glory & purity. In a metaphor: imagine 3 circles... the first is dirty (our sin), the second is white (our forgiveness) & the third is glowing (God's glory bestowed upon us). God is a hero: He is the absence of evil, PLUS something much more positive.
-> "Friendship is a reciprocal arrangement." QUESTION: In what practical ways do you make friendship more reciprocal, in a natural-feeling manner?
--- MY THOUGHTS ON CHAPTER 4 ---
-> Love this quote: "If the internal voice makes you doubt the value of... your life, or life itself - perhaps you should stop listening."
-> "Do you ask yourself what you want?" I am trying to do more of this.
-> "Dare... to be dangerous. Dare to be truthful. Dare to articulate yourself..." I find this a great challenge, as well as a difficult thing to do. Particularly in group discussions. This book study group is a great place to start practicing.
-> "Aim small." I think this is simply fascinating. I feel like my entire upbringing, it was preached to 'dream big.' However, it was missing something crucial. I think a better way to look at it is, "Dream big, then aim small (towards the big dream)."
-> The discussion about "Why you are unhappy" is a good one. As JP points out, sometimes it's because you don't have something and other times it's because you can't stop wanting what you don't have. The "stop wanting" option is something that could be worked on with a mindset shift - which gives you power to control it and actively work towards the aim of 'not being unhappy.'
-> "You can only find out what you actually believe by watching how you act." Hmm... QUESTION: In what practical ways do you observe yourself & watch yourself act?
--- SIDEBAR: GOD'S PORTRAYAL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT VS NEW TESTAMENT---
-> I haven't thought into this too much, so could use some help in thinking through it or some resources... how do you think about God's portrayal in the OT vs the NT - when in reality, He is the same God.
-> OT: "Creator of Being, bargains with people, Force of Nature, angry Diety..." (JP's words, not mine)
-> NT: "kindly Geppetto, God of Love, wants nothing but the best for us..." (JP's words, not mine)
I wanted to comment on Steven’s thoughts
Thanks for the nice complements Steven. Very glad you have joined in. Makes the discussion better.
I really liked what you said about the make a list of friends who want the best for you and one where maybe they don’t so much. Have to be a little careful with that but I think the exercise would help me be honest with myself. It is going on my to do list.
Good point on the Glory of God. I think as Christians sometimes we undersell things.
Regarding how to make friendship more reciprocal in a natural way. I am far from an expert on this but my first thought would start with take an interest in what is going on in your friend’s life. It’s easy to talk about sports or politics or business or even church but I think it is good to just say how’s your family? How is your wife? Also, depending on how well you know the person you might even ask how is your walk with Christ. I think when you open up conversations with people on the relationships that are most important to them it can take the dialog to another level of importance and it creates the opportunity for you to find out what their critical needs are and perhaps a place where you might be able to help with that. Also, when you ask it gives them permission to ask back and that is when the two directional reciprocity can take place. A couple months ago I was talking to a business associate whom I know was a believer and I was a little nervous about it but I did ask how his faith walk was going. He was very eager to discuss that. I felt it was a relationship building conversation. This is how I think about it. I’m interested in what others might think.
I think this point the Steven made on chapter 4 “I think a better way to look at it is, ‘Dream big, then aim small (towards the big dream).’” Is spot on. It is along the lines of great journeys begin with one step followed by a bunch more small steps. You need both a big dream and a big direction and the focus and discipline to keep taking the small steps toward it.
From Steven: “QUESTION: In what practical ways do you observe yourself & watch yourself act?” Easy… Now you’re medaling bro. Short answer. Not in as many ways as I ought to. Elaboration: Areas where I am stepping in the right direction. I have really been challenged that if you are going to be a Christian that involves a daily relationship. I’d say I have done a tepid job of that. That might be an over statement. I have started to reserve time in the morning and evening (about 10 minutes each) to be way way more intentional about that trying to align what I actually do with what I say I believe. The implication of this question I think is that we should take inventory and reflect on our actions and make sure they align with what I think I believe. I think I love Verna, but I need to look at all my actions. Do my actions tell that story? (Not sure I want Verna to post her thoughts on that. But I should be thinking about that.)
Old Testament God verses New. I’m not sure I’ve thought this through enough either. I would like to get Eric or Jon Stratford’s perspective. I hope they chime in.
I think part of it is the old covenant and the new covenant. God is the same but he decided to cut a new deal with we humans. That is what the word testament means. There was an old deal or contract or covenant that He arranged with us and when Jesus came He made and new deal / contract / covenant / testament.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (From the Old Testament)
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke (John’s comment – Israel was in breach of the old contract / testament. That deal didn’t work.), though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
In the Old Testament God set up a set of rules that folks were supposed to follow to demonstrate their commitment to God and they worked and communicated with God through a priest. In the new covenant that all went away because Christ’s death and resurrection addressed permanently what the sacrifices and the priest system of the Old Testament only temporarily addressed. The Old Testament and its processes were a temporary solution that pointed to the permanent solution of Jesus and his death and resurrection.
So God is the same but there is a new system he has in place now that Jesus has done his work. And we relate to Him in a different way. Before we used a priest and sacrifices to relate to God. Now we can go straight to God. He connects to each of us directly in a new way because we now have the perfect sacrifice and perfect priest. We don’t have to rely on temporary fill ins as before.
Hebrews 9:11-15 (From the New Testament)
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (John’s comment: the tent is the tabernacle / temple where the priests entered into God’s presence and made the sacrifices) (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Make friends with people who want the best for you
People tend to stay on the bottom because people (myself included) like to take care of people at the bottom. So why not stay helpless and at the bottom if you’re going to be taken care of. As children we learn the consequences of these actions and we rise above it or we don’t. Those adults get stuck in delinquency as kids and never rise up when. It’s a terrible cycle and it’s harder to get out after time. As I am learning in my early adult years, it is easy to be taken care of, it is not easy to take care of yourself.
Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to someone else today
We live in a world of “if only”s. “If only we had a better job” “If only we had a boyfriend” “If only we had a better house”. And with social media being a huge part of people’s lives it makes comparing very easy. I’m a huge fan of youtube, and I find myself wanting what they have. I always forget that people on social media filter their content to only show the best part of their lives. So, when you compare yourself on social media, you’re going to doubt your own self worth. Which in turn, makes the critic inside you stronger, another vicious cycle. Jordan Peterson uses the sermon on the mound to explain his rule of life. It’s all about striving to be good, not sinless. Become a “better” self than you were yesterday, whatever that means to you.
I really liked that last post. Especially the bit about the comparison game and the negative cycle that can create and become. All the more reason to keep focused on who you are today versus who you were yesterday. The author of the post says anonymous. Curious who posted. Michal? Isabelle? someone else?
Or Andrea?
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