Walk with faith and with joy

Each one according to the gift that he has received, minister it to others, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 (Reign-Valera 1960)

In this article I only want to meditate on the previous verse, much more in a practical way than to do theology on this subject, because it would be a serious mistake to create a doctrine based exclusively on one verse.

So I will go further and make use of secular literature to navigate this thought that I wish to share with you.

When we think about how we can be happier, many times the thought is linked to simply having more things or using more cutting-edge technologies, leaving aside the opportunity for a transformation or even the culmination of established and not strategically prepared goals.

If we are beings endowed with incredible abilities, why do we see so many people marginalized who have even "forgotten about themselves" without having suffered amnesia? One of the answers is the complete lack of ability to see society in general as something important and useful.

It is up to us to choose whether we want to live a meaningless life, simply reacting to external factors, or dedicate ourselves to building an extraordinary life.

When we then apply the desire to serve, we activate this gift that the Creator has given us. It is with him that we can see the service performed in a sublime, almost heavenly way.

Your commitment to what you believe is important, because when you look within yourself and discover this potential, you apply it with true commitment to make your profession recognized as one of high performance, a pioneering one that surpasses the competition.  The latter in turn sees the need to update and become more dynamic, creating a virtuous circle of growth and development.

Fernando Oliveira in his book Manual of an Extraordinary Life defines the term “consistency” that in his words means: characteristic of a body from the point of view of homogeneity, coherence, firmness, compactness, resistance and density.

In this way we can conclude that there is a great virtue in being a person who is dedicated to physical, mental and spiritual asceticism in order to collaborate with society and thus create a vision of this happiness in a real way, not in one imposed by the media.

Tanseki Ryu Densho points out in his writings three sets of three rules to follow, which are: The three Prohibitions (to give up, misbehave, be rude); The three Joys (Vicissitude, Honesty, Skill); and the three Evils (Fear, Doubt, Confusion).

Honestly, applying the concepts of these two great men makes a positive difference in the lives of those who really want to take the reins of living into their own hands.

This concept of vicissitude is the ability to see possibilities and make the best use of them when we face adverse situations in every way, every day.

With that I want to tell you, dear reader, that it is time for you to make a decision and face your future based on it and its consequences.

You are unique – there is no equal; our potential is yours alone and immensely great; your choices can help people around the world; your life is the most precious asset you have in the midst of the situation you find yourself in.

Contribute to the world, because you can.

I said that I would not do theology on top of a verse and I did not.  However, I need to warn you about something, especially if you are a believer: there is even more you can do if everything we speak is according to God's plan, and for that I exhort you to define your goals and objectives; to stop, pray, read the Bible and meditate on the Word of God, not as a shaman's oracle, but because all the complexity of the writings there can help you with the decision.

Walk with courage and faith! Find yourself with the joy of an Extraordinary life.

Bp. Cpl. Eric Massaro Baptista

Continuing Anglican Church of Brazil