be a better Christian

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.”

A university professor once challenged his students with this question:

Did God create everything that exists? “

A student bravely replied, “Yes, he did!”

“God created everything?” the professor asked.

“Yes sir,” the student replied.

The professor answered, “If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil.”

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, “Can I ask you a question professor?”

“Of course,” replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, “Professor does cold exist?”

The professor replied, “Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?”

The students snickered at the young man’s question.

The young man replied, “In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body, or matter, have
or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

The student continued. “Professor, does darkness exist?”

The professor responded, “Of course it does.”

The student replied, “Once again you are wrong sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various
wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by
man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”

Finally the young man asked the professor. “Sir, does evil exist?”

Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil”

To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”

The professor sat down.

The young man’s name: Albert Einstein.

right now. One of my students has really upset me and I’m trying not to lose my head over it. Days like this make me want to quit teaching.

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” -James 1:19-20

will not pray at school. This isn’t a problem for me because I believe that forcing someone to pray will only push them in the opposite direction of coming to faith… I know, I’ve been there. But a teacher came to me after school today and was really upset about the fact that the student won’t pray. I talked with her about it for a long time and I know she sees my point, but I’m just heartbroken about it. I know that there isn’t much we can do about the student except to be good examples and to witness to him. I know that his faith is between himself and God. Still… it’s just so hard to see someone so unhappy with life when you know that God can give them peace that is unfathomable but they choose not to believe it.

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

“God works where there’s an attitude of faith.”
Your Best Life Now p. 118

His book has been a marvelous help to me, even with the cheesy picture on the front. I’ve bought this book (Your Best Life Now) for countless friends, but I don’t have a copy for myself. I really want to read it again – it meant so much to me.

This goal will never be checked off of my list. It is an ongoing process that should never stop.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing. If any do not remain in me, they are like a branch that is thrown away and then dies. People pick up dead branches, throw them into the fire and then burn them. If you remain in me and follow my teachings, you can ask anything you want, and it will be given to you. You should produce much fruit and show that you are my followers, which brings glory to my Father.”
I need to memorize these verses. I am so very weak. I’m not producing fruit. I’ve been that branch that was thrown away and then dies – I don’t want to go back there.
Our choices in life affect our outcomes. I want to make good choices, but in the past I’ve made some bad ones. I’m so grateful that God takes us back. After all of the things I’ve done, He’s taken me back even though He has never done anything wrong. He took those nasty things that I’ve done upon Himself and He’s given me all that He has. And how do I repay that?
I must do better.