This week’s Truth Keepers for Truth Seekers column is about making good choices to reshape what needs to be reshaped, both for yourself and your children.
In this day and age, it seems almost effortless to get questions on our mind answered or gather the information we need. Instead of having to go through several search engines or a stack of encyclopaedias, or sit through numerous days of teachings, we just type in any question and depending on the search engine or app. The answer will come up. It seems to know what we think or need at any given moment.
Does it? No! It doesn’t. It is called “algorithm”. Not familiar what that is? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary it means: “procedure for solving a mathematical problem (as of finding the greatest common divisor) in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation. Broadly: a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.”
There are several search engines, with Google, Yahoo and Bing being the biggest players. Each search engine has its own proprietary computation (called an "algorithm") that ranks websites for each keyword or combination of keywords” (end of definition given).
So in other words, that search engine recognises what you are interested in and what you seem to frequent more than anything else.
Should we be too proud or scared to use those tools?
No! But like mentioned before, know or learn when to say “no” to yourself. And do not let it take away your creativity! Just get the information you need. And stop there. Keep THINKING. Discern. To add to the questions mentioned in last week’s article (published on Aug. 30), to ask yourself, add these ones:
· Ask the right questions.
· Ask yourself: what will I do with this info? Is it going to serve my purpose?
· What is it teaching me or my kids? Is it teaching me to have a better character?
· Is it teaching you to give up? Seems hopeless? Or is it teaching you and your kids to trust GOD?
When it comes to character, that seems to take second place these days. It’s more about what you ‘feel” about certain issues. And as you know, that goes with it a whole spectrum of what is right or wrong. Because what might “feel” right to person A,
But when it comes to hiring people, I bet that most employers will look at the character first before looking at their credentials.
If one has to work eight hours a day or more with a particular person, only God’s grace can help them to get along in a harmonious way. And if from the moment you meet a person comes near you and you talk to them, you have some doubts, just wait and do some more “check ups”. I would advise anyone to look at character first when it comes to starting to work with people for many hours a day. Skills can be learned. Character is developed overtime by a person’s choices and the people they have previously worked with.
What might interest you, dear reader, is what involves the development of character. The first word that comes to one’s mind is probably “environment” and “home situation”. Often that becomes the excuse for some one’s good or bad character.
Most people define or identify themselves by:
1. Their parents or siblings when growing up.
2. Their education or field of study when older.
3. Their profession when having a job.
4. Their religion if that religion is important to them.
5. Their country, State or tribe if that gives them a sense of pride.
6. Their parenthood if their children are doing well.
7. Their husbands if those husbands carry a high position in society.
In other words whatever is important to that person, that is how they will identify themselves.
If you would be the head of a company, or starting up one, or director of a school or institution like a hospital, would you rather have a pool of workers with excellent skills but shady characters or a company of people that might need some more training but that show good character? I bet the last. Because training is an ongoing process anyway with so much development of technology, new info coming in all the time, updated information and better skills to be learned because of new advances.
Character is formed and although upbringing, education and environment have much to do with it, the defining factor is the choices one makes on a daily basis.
How do we make these choices?
With our mind. Where then IS the mind and what does that consist of?
Many confuse soul, spirit and mind.
Here a simple breakdown from an excellent training manual called the “Shepherd’s Staff”, put together and published by World map acts India.
“Let us look at the Greek terms in the New Testament for spirit, soul and body.
a. Pneuma. The Greek word for "spirit" is pneuma. It means "breath." The lung disease "pneumonia" takes its name from that term.
b. Psuche. The Greek word for "soul" is psuche. "Psychology," therefore, is the study of the soul (mind) of man.
c. Soma. Finally, the Greek term for "body" is soma. "Psychosomatic" (soul-body) diseases are disorders of the body which are caused by mental and emotional (soul-related) problems. These three Greek terms have been carefully traced through the New Testament Scriptures. In regard to man's makeup, they are used as follows.
Spirit, Soul and Body: How They Function
1. Spirit (pneuma) — The "spirit" is that part of man which is aware or conscious of God — God-awareness. It is made "alive" by God's Spirit at salvation. It is "energised" by God's Spirit when we are filled with the Spirit. The functions of man's spirit include the following:
a. Revelation from God.
b. Prayer to God.
c. Communion with God.
d. Worship of God.
e. Witness to man (world).
f. Conscience: to judge (discern).
g. Fellowship with God (church).
h. Discernment of spirits (spiritual senses).
i. Spiritual warfare.
j. Seedbed for the fruit of the Spirit.
k. Reception area for the Gifts of the Spirit.
2. Soul (psuche) — The "soul" is that part of man which is aware or conscious of himself — self-awareness. It is the centre of the ego or personality. The functions of the soul can be outlined as follows:
a. Memory: to recall (remember, reflect).
b. Curiosity: to inquire (explore).
c. Perception: to interpret (sense and understand).
d. Reason: to think (meditate, conceive) e. Imagination: to create (envision, dream).
f. Emotion: to feel (have passion, affection).
g. Volition: to will (decide).
3. Body (soma) — The "body" is that part of man which is aware of and reacts with the outside world — world-awareness. The functions of the body can be out-lined as follows:
a. Reception. Information is received from the world by way of the senses (eyes, ears, touch, etc.).
b. Reaction. The body reacts through the motor (muscle) system by words and actions.
c. Expression. The body can express to the world the thoughts, feelings and decisions of the soul. (end of excerpt)
Character then is formed by your soul- your mind is your soul because that is the centre of thinking, making decisions, etc. The body just follows the mind. The Spirit is what influences the mind and depending which source that spirit is connected to, the soul gets it cues from there.
The soul (connected with your spirit) is the real you. That is what defines you. That is where character is formed.
What makes the real you, is the choices you make on a daily basis of how you want it shaped. You can shape it in the right or wrong direction, no matter what environment and upbringing.
Good kids and heroes have come out of bad situations, Bad characters have sprung up of what everyone thought was a “fine” home.
However, history also shows over and over the influence of good parenting, character training, education and friends circles. But if any of that is missing, we cannot excuse ourselves for a bad character trait. “That’s just me because…” Grow up and get around people that will help you reshape if need be.
Choose wisely.
Nobody has to choose for you.
You do.
Trust you will make some good choices to reshape what needs to be reshaped and even better choices of who and what you will allow your kids to be shaped with after reading this.
Be blessed as you shape your kids, and reshape yourself if need be!
Blessings,
Akhrienuo