Saturday Sermonette - Anyway

Written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 (called the Paradoxical Commandments); and it was shortened, adapted, and written on the wall by Mother Theresa in her home for children in Calcutta, India:
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

I'm not a Roman Catholic, but one of my most admired persons of all time is Mother Theresa. She personified unconditional love, irrational grace, and impossible faith. It's said part of the above quote was adapted and written on the walls of her room. She ended the quote with "In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

Truths I hope I follow all the way to my grave and, Lord willing, beyond.

If all people in high places followed these rules, we could vote with confidence for people who become politicians.

If all people on the street followed these rules, the streets would be safe night and day.

If all people in businesses followed these rules, prices would go down and quality would go up.

If all people in churches followed these rules, attendance would skyrocket and God would be shouting hallelujah!

But--as each of the rules say, this will never happen (at least not until the Lord comes back). We live in the meantime, and we can, you and I, do our best with God's help to give our best.

I would add an eleventh commandment: We're going to fall and fail sometimes, but get up and go at it again anyway!

Lord, I long to follow You without fail or fall. Help me today to do that. Love me anyway when I mess up, please? And thank You. For Jesus's sake and in His name, Amen.