Resolutions And Revolutions

William Shakespeare famously describes honesty as an attribute people leave behind when he wrote that "no legacy is so rich as honesty" in his play"All's Well that Ends Well."

A good recent example involves an Ethiopian immigrant, Adam Woldemarim. He discharged a passenger at the Las Vegas airport. A little later, he was cleaning his cab when he found a black laptop case in the backseat. He opened it, and it was full of money – $221,510 to be exact.

As for me, I would’ve slyly taken it home like Llewelyn Moss in “No Country for Old Men.” But Woldemarim wields a bit more integrity, so he went to the security company that owned his taxi service and dropped off the case, saying an unknown man left it. He then went back to work.

An hour later, Frias Transportation Management called him and told him to come back to the office immediately. A young man in his late twenties called, claiming he won the money at a casino.

When Woldemarim arrived, the man was effusively appreciative. He thanked him for his honesty and left him a $2,000 tip. Quite the payday for one small gesture.

Resolution # 6 Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

A DO BEE is an humble bee! So, do be humble! Mike Austin, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University says, “Many people think of humility as thinking very little of yourself, but I don’t think that’s right.” It’s more about a proper or accurate assessment. A big part of humility is knowing our own limits, our strengths and weaknesses, morally or otherwise.”

Austin says that humble people focus their energy on others, that they are conscientious, that they see happiness as a journey. He says that humble people know there are good things ahead, but are OK in waiting for them.

And, he concludes his remarks with this lovely sentence: “When there’s that kind of harmony, that’s when the better angles of our nature come out.”

Resolution # 7 Rev 2:10 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.

An internet quote from a source I could not identify is this:

A FAITHFUL PERSON is trustworthy and reliable. Some people make faithfulness a hallmark of their human relationships, but the faithfulness that matters most is the faithfulness we show towards God.

God is faithful. He does what He promises to do. Moreover, because God is faithful, we dare have courage to trust Him and His promises. "He is faithful that promised" (Heb. 10:23). "Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens: and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds" (Psa. 36:5). "Your faithfulness is to all generations..."--Psa. 119:90

In truth, all of God's creation depend on His faithfulness. Animals begin their annual migrations and periodic breeding cycles at certain times because nature's laws are firm. Plants send forth seed and sapling according to His faithfulness. Only human-kind has a hard time knowing whether or not to exercise faith in God.

If we are full of faith we will believe God's word and expect Him to fulfill His promises. That means we will actually live according to what we think. We judge that God, who delivered His word, is faithful (Heb. 11:11). Therefore, we commit ourselves to our heavenly Father in spite of unfair or evil circumstances. We do God's will the best we can because we trust our faithful Creator to set all things right in His time and way. "Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right."--1 Pet. 4:19