Tycoon-ism: “Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance and self control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle never know.” – Charles Kingsley
Some of us feel unlucky to be stuck in a job that we don’t appreciate. This becomes all too real when we see people doing exactly what they love doing and get paid in the process. It is not uncommon to overhear teens wondering if they can play video games and earn in the process as some people in Korea and around the world actually do. But the unfortunate truth is that, MOST people don’t really get to do the things they want to do. Taking this into perspective, maybe it is for the best that we are given a path to take instead of deciding it for ourselves. At least then we don’t have to be burdened with indecision and we get to concentrate on what we are doing in order to be the best in that area. And while we may think that we are not in the right field of work, until we have done our best, we may never rise up above our current “dead-end” job.
There was a story about post war Germany during the cold war. This happened when there was a still a Berlin wall. It is important to note that the wall was put up to stop the exodus of the Germans to the Allied controlled area. And so this wall represented the ideological division between post war Communism and Western democracy. In this story, there was an apparent garbage disposal problem o the East side. Some of their more enterprising officials started dumping their garbage on the other side of the wall to the West side. The West side, not to be outdone, retaliated swiftly and decisively. And so on the morning after the garbage was dumped the East side found on their side of the wall all sorts of canned goods and items, neatly stacked, with the message: “You share only what you have.” It is heartwarming to know that even at such an unprovoked attack, we can still muster the courage to share out the goodness of our hearts. "
Your smile, and your whole countenance is your armor or your invitation to people who you mingle with. We may not notice it but people react to how they perceive our moods. You can try this experiment, smile at everyone you meet. Yes, even that old woman down the street who always wears that frown. You’ll be surprised at the reaction of people. Some people will smile back and some will nod. But overall, people will be more receptive. But reverse this and frown all the time and in no time at all people will start avoiding you. The lesson here is that we should be careful about how we present ourselves to others. We may often wonder why people are always too impatient towards us. Or they are all so moody all the time. Maybe we should look at the mirror more often and check: maybe we aren’t smiling or laughing enough.
The apostle Paul, in his travels to the gentile world spreading his faith, encountered more difficulties than what our missionaries face today. He was beaten, imprisoned, and was almost murdered. But even in his deplorable state he still was a happy man, no, he was joyful. The reason for this is not that he closed his mind on the suffering; in fact he accepted his suffering with grace and humility. His reason for doing is simple: he has found a purpose for his life which is bigger than even his enemies can throw at him. This man, who in his past life tried to extinguish a fledgling faith, has now become its champion. In fact, even with all his obstacles he was able to almost singlehandedly hand over the known gentile world to his faith in Jesus Christ.
The famous quote “together with power comes great responsibility” is a perfect representation of wealth. To be wealthy is not just being able to buy all you want. That is what you see on the movies. But it takes a solid character to maintain one’s wealth. Your ability to earn will get you money but wisdom will enable you to enjoy it. Note that almost all self made men, from Bill Gates to Henry Ford have made great contributions to the upliftment of humanity’s plight. That is because they have seen what their wealth can do. While they may be extraordinary men in their own rights, their example is as applicable in our own lives as it was with theirs. Consider that with just $50 you can afford to send a child to school for a month. Or that your $30 can buy much needed vaccine against the most virulent diseases that afflicts our fellowmen. You are needed. Just as much a solution to the world’s problem than anyone else. It just takes the right vision.
