What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

[Tom 1]

Do you have any advice for a young Christian such as myself?

Are there any regrets that you have from your younger days?

I would say it's important to put time into developing your own understanding of the bible as a text, to develop a thorough knowledge of how it was put together and so on. It's worth reading widely to get a good understanding of the context and nature of the different books. I think can be too easy for people to base their faith on this or that view of this or that issue without really understanding it all that well, which can set you up for difficulties later when those ideas are challenged, so having your own broad understanding of the relevant issues is important.

 

[-Luca]

This is a good question.

I was baptized in Church at 4/5 months old. I used to attend a Bible Study group as well at my childhood church from the age of eight until I turned sixteen when I stopped. My son and daughter were also baptized four months after they were born and welcomed into the Church. We are a churchgoing family. I have attended many church parties over the years and services. I love the sense of community that is prevalent in my local church.

I need to meet like minded folks and have fun. I've only been to this church and the one in PA where I was born. Planning to visit another church later this year with a friend however for her wedding.

Interesting. I was baptised when I was a baby too, some Catholic tradition. I don't think this counts as an actual baptism, at least in my eyes. It is good to hear that you and your family are a God loving family. God bless your family.

I can understand how it is important for Christian fellowship, I just feel like I can't trust people. Even though I would meet someone in a church I would feel even more cautious about them, I am not sure why. I hate the thought of going to church but then again, I long for the day where I can meet like-minded individuals. I think I am shooting myself in the foot with this one. I just feel like churches aren't about God but other motivations. I feel like people can be friendly to you in church but then behind your back they will talk and gossip about you, adn that the churches only care about money.

 

[bèlla]

Greetings,

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. —Ecclesiastes 7:3

The passage was given to me by my aunt. She encouraged me to look ahead and focus on things to come not what failed to materialize. The deeper message is time and viewing ourselves in the context of a life spam rather than moments.

~Bella

 

[Anthony2019]

Through life, we will go through times of sorrow and joy, uncertainty and assurance, sickness and health, need and plenty.

Whatever our circumstances, life can be beautiful as we are willing to make it. Let us be thankful not for the things we lack, but for the precious things we have: our friends, our loved ones, and above all, our relationship with Christ.

May we be blessed with opportunities: new vocations, jobs, and let us rejoice in all our accomplishments. But let us not forget the greater blessing that is found in helping the stranger who is in need.

Life is for living. Let us live it well.

 

[A_Thinker]

Do you have any advice for a young Christian such as myself?

Are there any regrets that you have from your younger days?

Self-control ...

 

[SkyWriting]

Yes, it would be smart to keep some savings, something that I must do. Thank you for your response. I have a question though. I do have career aspiriations, my first path going to university. The problem is I wonder if God makes my path different or has other plans for me. Thus, I feel like no matter what I plan, God's will is going to be done in my life either way as long as I remain in him. I think there is some scripture for this but unsure as to where.

Save 10% of your earnings.
What are you seeking to accomplish at the university?
I've been to a few and I don't recommend any.

 

[Dave L]

I never received any good advise. But I would advise you to beware of the company you keep. It's always easy to pick up friends, but often very difficult, and even dangerous to get rid of them. You need one good friend, a wife or a husband depending on your gender, and nothing more. Keep all relationships at a distance and on a "business only" level.

 

[Norbert L]

Do you have any advice for a young Christian such as myself?

Are there any regrets that you have from your younger days?

Don't believe everything you hear and only half of what you see.

I had a friend who was accused of dating a non Christian woman because she dressed like a harlot. Turned out that he was with his non Christian mother.

 

[-Luca]

Greetings,

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. —Ecclesiastes 7:3

The passage was given to me by my aunt. She encouraged me to look ahead and focus on things to come not what failed to materialize. The deeper message is time and viewing ourselves in the context of a life spam rather than moments.

~Bella

Thank you for your response. I am having somewhat of a similar issue to this. I tend to always be thinking about me, but I need to stop and think about the bigger picture, whether it be life, God's creation, and so on. I need to realise that this life is for God and to try to humble my 'problems'. By all means, I still cast my worries on him, I just hope to see the bigger picture.

I think that I may have read Ecclesiastes once, from what I remember it is very pessimistic but somehow wise. Again, thank you.

 

[-Luca]

Through life, we will go through times of sorrow and joy, uncertainty and assurance, sickness and health, need and plenty.

Whatever our circumstances, life can be beautiful as we are willing to make it. Let us be thankful not for the things we lack, but for the precious things we have: our friends, our loved ones, and above all, our relationship with Christ.

May we be blessed with opportunities: new vocations, jobs, and let us rejoice in all our accomplishments. But let us not forget the greater blessing that is found in helping the stranger who is in need.

Life is for living. Let us live it well.

Thank you for your response. Very true, we should be thankful for all we have rather than what we don't have. Admittedly at times, I forget to thank God for all the things that he has done for me. God bless.

 

[-Luca]

Self-control ...

Something that I and likely everyone else relies on God for. Self-control and discipline is very hard to master, thank God for giving us the strength to do so.

 

[-Luca]

Save 10% of your earnings.
What are you seeking to accomplish at the university?
I've been to a few and I don't recommend any.

I hope to study marine biology at university. Admittedly, this is my own pesonal goal. The thought of not going to university irritates me, not because I am "missing out" on anything but rather I hope to feel a sense of accomplishment in an area that I enjoy and because the opportunity is their to further my education. I realise this is very selfish. I have a feeling at the back of my mind that this may not be God's will for me. Time is ticking and I don't know what he has planned, yet I have faith.

Why do you not recommend university?

 

[visionary]

Yes, it would be smart to keep some savings, something that I must do. Thank you for your response. I have a question though. I do have career aspiriations, my first path going to university. The problem is I wonder if God makes my path different or has other plans for me. Thus, I feel like no matter what I plan, God's will is going to be done in my life either way as long as I remain in him. I think there is some scripture for this but unsure as to where.

What makes you think that God isn't working through you with these aspirations, because He needs you to be at that university for someone's salvation, for your challenges and spiritual warrior strengthening tests, and for you to have the knowledge. Moses was trained in all wisdom of Egypt, and it was good, not in the sense for what it contained, but for what it didn't.

 

[-Luca]

I never received any good advise. But I would advise you to beware of the company you keep. It's always easy to pick up friends, but often very difficult, and even dangerous to get rid of them. You need one good friend, a wife or a husband depending on your gender, and nothing more. Keep all relationships at a distance and on a "business only" level.

Thank you very much for this advice, sir. I suppose we are the average of the people we spend the most amount of time with, and if those relationships are not beneficial then it could have an affect on oneself. I have had friendships in the past that were nothing good, just bad influencers for me.

I have had always had a tendency to be formal with others, but I think that I will make sure for this to be something I keep in the back of my mind. Good advice. I have a question, where would one find this "one good friend"?

 

[Tom 1]

I hope to study marine biology at university. Admittedly, this is my own pesonal goal. The thought of not going to university irritates me, not because I am "missing out" on anything but rather I hope to feel a sense of accomplishment in an area that I enjoy and because the opportunity is their to further my education. I realise this is very selfish. I have a feeling at the back of my mind that this may not be God's will for me. Time is ticking and I don't know what he has planned, yet I have faith.

Why do you not recommend university?

I've come across the idea that accomplishments in life are somehow indicative of not being 'focused on God' enough. I think the idea is entirely false, generally based on some sort of vague notions relating to a superficial understanding of the circumstances of the early church. Be the best you can be, sometimes people can be too quick to talk about 'God's will for your life' - to put it bluntly, they have no idea what God's will for your life is, even supposing the rather dubious idea that God has some set of very specific plans for everyone. It seems evident to me from the bible that God expects us to take responsiblity for ourselves. Pursue a worthy career, doing something that you enjoy and do your best at it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, quite the contrary.
I'd recommend doing some character studies, like Daniel for example. Abraham's interactions with God are interesting also, God comes into his life periodically, but for the most part leaves Abraham to make his own decisions and live out his life, even changing his (God's) actions to work with what Abraham does, e.g. the birth of Ishmael.

Nb pursuing a good education is not selfish. I really think it is important to understand that. A good education can improve your life in many ways and ultimately make you a more useful member of society also.

 

[-Luca]

Don't believe everything you hear and only half of what you see.

I had a friend who was accused of dating a non Christian woman because she dressed like a harlot. Turned out that he was with his non Christian mother.

Thank you, sir. In the past I have not been critical enough of other people's opinions, theories etc. I never asked myself "Is this right?" or "is this backed up by scripture?". Yikes...I would be lying if I said I did not laugh

 

[-Luca]

What makes you think that God isn't working through you with these aspirations, because He needs you to be at that university for someone's salvation, for your challenges and spiritual warrior strengthening tests, and for you to have the knowledge. Moses was trained in all wisdom of Egypt, and it was good, not in the sense for what it contained, but for what it didn't.

I never thought of this....thank you so much!

 

[-Luca]

I've come across the idea that accomplishments in life are somehow indicative of not being 'focused on God' enough. I think the idea is entirely false, generally based on some sort of vague notions relating to a superficial understanding of the circumstances of the early church. Be the best you can be, sometimes people can be too quick to talk about 'God's will for your life' - to put it bluntly, they have no idea what God's will for your life is, even supposing the rather dubious idea that God has some set of very specific plans for everyone. It seems evident to me from the bible that God expects us to take responsiblity for ourselves. Pursue a worthy career, doing something that you enjoy and do your best at it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, quite the contrary.
I'd recommend doing some character studies, like Daniel for example. Abraham's interactions with God are interesting also, God comes into his life periodically, but for the most part leaves Abraham to make his own decisions and live out his life, even changing his (God's) actions to work with what Abraham does, e.g. the birth of Ishmael.

Thank you very much for this, sir. I always was under the assumption that God would have some major plan for every believer...but I guess maybe it is not like that. I suppose God has different missions for all of us, some greater than others. The issue I have is that I wonder as to whether it is possible to devote yourself fully to your career and God at the same time (a career that is not related to God). But it confuses me because I would think that God would use us for his misssion, and I fail to see how a regular career could achieve that. Perhaps I am thinking too much about this.

 

[Dave L]

Thank you very much for this advice, sir. I suppose we are the average of the people we spend the most amount of time with, and if those relationships are not beneficial then it could have an affect on oneself. I have had friendships in the past that were nothing good, just bad influencers for me.

I have had always had a tendency to be formal with others, but I think that I will make sure for this to be something I keep in the back of my mind. Good advice. I have a question, where would one find this "one good friend"?

I believe you are right about people being the average of the company they keep.

 

[mindlight]

Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him.