Marriage, friendship, parenting and living at peace with others.
Since these things happen daily, how you handle them will define your habits, character, and who you are. Since they happen daily they will shape how people perceive you and understand you. Since they happen daily, this is what your reputation is made of. By these three you will be loved or hated or avoided. Three daily occurrences to handle in three different ways!
Avoid childish ultimatums like, “even if my life depended on that person I would rather die than forgive them.” Avoid statements like, “we will only work together over my dead body.” Do not let today’s temporary anger cause you to make regrettable commitments of the future you do not know. Bear the pain and let it in time pass. Truly forgive as the Bible suggests. Forgiving them doesn’t mean they will evade punishment. Forgive them sets you free from carrying that issue in your heart. Forgiving them restores your relationship. Forgiving them will make the currently useless to be useful when they meet Jesus. Forgive and move on. It is difficult but nothing is impossible with God. Useless can become useful!
Genuine love produces labor. Genuine love is practical. Genuine love forgives and forgets. Genuine love goes the extra mile to demonstrate that it loves. Genuine love for God will praise God without prompting and attend worship with ease. Genuine love is patient with slow learners. Genuine love pities the enemies. Genuine love gives more than one chance to the erring. If it is genuine love it will produce labor. If it is genuine it will produce!
Bad employers and bosses intimidate workers. Business competitors intimidate others out of business. Bad marriages and relationships that are abusive are based on intimidation. Bad religions and faith keep people in by intimidation. It is not God’s will that any one of us should live in fear. Even God does not intimidate us, who else should? Do not be intimidated!
Whether your prayers are answered or not. Whether your dreams come true or not. Whether issues are resolved or not. Whether you experience a happy life or not. Whether lonely, single, and desperate or not. Whether in need or not. Whichever way it goes don’t lose focus!
Who sent you into that profession? Did you pray for God’s guidance or it was an arrangement and wish of your relatives? Who sent you to that relationship? Your desires? Convenience? Desperation? Or did you pray about it? Who sent you into that marriage? Unexpected pregnancy? Unemployment? Advancing age? Or did you pray for God’s will to be clear on that marriage? Be very clear on who sent you!
You cannot be clear on who you are not unless you are clear on who you are. When you know who you are, you also know who you are not. When you know who you are not, it follows that you know who you are. Be clear on who you are not!
Bad parenting leads to poor adults and regretting senior citizens. Bad adults lead to bad marriages. Bad adults lead to poor leaders and society. Regretting senior citizens, bad marriages, bad leaders, and a bad society are a recipe for unprecedented disaster. Where did it all begin? Bad parenting. We, therefore, need to fix parenting as soon as possible. In the event of pregnancy, parenting begins immediately!
From this situation, we learn that before marriage you are unmarried. Even if you have dated, courted, engaged and dowry has been paid, you should not engage in sexual activity until marriage is officially declared. This being the circumstance, God addressed Mary about the pregnancy as if she was single and unmarried because though engaged, she was indeed unmarried.