Jesus, A Success Story!

Success

(by Ralph Waldo Emerson)

To Laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false
friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a better place whether by a healthy child, a garden
patch, or a redeemed Social Condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

I am sure that Ralph didn't realize it at the time, but he was describing
the life of Jesus. A life of selfless love and without the expression "WHAT
ABOUT ME!?" Would Ralph's definition of Christ describe you? You cannot
achieve any of the above on your own merit and get into heaven. That would
be "works" and the Word reminds us in Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any
man should boast."(NKJV) But by putting your faith ONLY in Jesus Christ and
Him crucified, can you become transformed and overcome the ways and sins of
the world and obtain Heaven. The true end result of living your life for
Jesus is what old Ralph describes. Success.

I know that you have heard "The Golden Rule". The World would love to take
credit for that one. If fact if you ask anyone ,who was the author of that
saying, you would get many answers, but few would know that it was Jesus who
gave it to us in the form of a Commandment before he departed this world.
"Then one of the Scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together,
perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first
commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments
is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the
second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 'There
is no other commandment greater than these."

It would seem like Jesus and Ralph Waldo Emerson agreed that LOVE=SUCCESS.
How successful are you today?...Patti