Once upon a time
there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and
adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave
her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much and
was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one
day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone." Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No way!” replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.
Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone." Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No way!” replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.
Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No!” replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!"
His heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!” replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave. Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go."
The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
IN TRUTH we all have the 4 wives in our lives: Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die. Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others. Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us where ever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.
Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.
If you want peace in your heart and forgiveness for your sins, please say this prayer from your heart and mean it. Dear Lord Jesus, I have been living my life without you. I need you now. I open the door of my heart, come into my life, Forgive me of all my sins and make me a anew person, fill my heart with your joy so that I may become the person I was meant to be. Amen.
As the sun
set at dawn I took my dog for a walk at the park. It’s was that time of year to
smell fresh flowers and enjoy living in gracious marvel. Walking through
endless beautifully manicure field in the park, my dog wag his tail in
excitement, racing up and down constantly barking. As I sat down under shades
of trees, with the chaotic behind me many awesome memories flow through my
healthy mind. In the midst of this wholesome peace that I felt within me I started
to ponder the life of the poor and the life of the rich. My discoveries
surprised me.
The rich build their houses surrounded with barricades, high walls with state of the act security network, a night guard and a dog that may bark endlessly at the approach of an intruder. On their gate is an inscription, “Beware of The Dog” or “Beware of snake” Electric gate and iron fences, all manner of signs that says stays away.
To
the rich material things is no big deal, money is not his problem because he can
afford what money can buy. But there are times he found he cannot fully enjoy
the fruit of his labour. Many hasten to become rich by any means, thinking when
they find it, living will just be happiness and excitement like a river all the
way… alas, the more empty and depressed they may feel within. They sleep at
night with one eyes closed sometimes and the other open gazing through empty
ceiling on an endless night. He has a nice bed and all the comforts of this
world yet sometimes sleep eludes him constantly. The more he acquired worldly
goods the more he wants. Like the river that never drinks full, what
an irony.
The
poor story is slightly different though.
The
poor pitch their tent at the open field, no fence, no barricades, no high walls,
nothing separate him from his neighbours, no dog, even if he got one that dog
is an “Area boy” – street boy). You may never find him at home except the
master tied him down. He hustles from one street corner to another in search
for a meal.
The poor might not afford state of
the art interior decoration or a water bed to rest his head after his days at
work; he sleeps at night resting his case in divine providence and lives one
day at a time. The life of the poor may be full of needs but, both the poor and
the rich, they all have unmet needs.
The
life of the rich and the poor may differs but they are like two different
rivers flowing from two different directions that meet in same spot. The lessons
I draw from these two are one:
·
The rich man break down in
despondency the poor man experience the same.
·
The rich are pregnant with many
unanswered questions while the poor experiences the same.
·
The rich gets confused the poor gets
confused.
·
The rich feel insecure the poor
feels the same.
·
The rich wants to be loved the poor
feels the same.
·
The rich gets frustrated the poor
feels the same.
·
The rich wants to be appreciated the
poor feels the same.
·
Sometimes the happening around us bring
tears to our eyes. It happens to the poor and to the rich. The rich also cry.
·
The rich endures pain the poor
endures pain. The rich endures suffering in their own way the poor endures the
same. The rich endure loneliness and the poor experience the same.
The
situations that bring tears and pain to the rich may not be what bring pain to
the poor. But, they – rich & poor experience melancholy, death, illness,
despondency, frustrations, suicide thoughts, betrayer, discouragement, self
doubts and fear, tears and mourning, family and personal struggles, self hate,
disappointments, failures, unemployment, imprisonment, loneliness, unloved of
oneself, divorce, insecurity etc. If you cannot run away from your shadow you
cannot walk away from yourself. You may try to walk away from the world but you
can’t run away from yourself. Every
human being is fragile and vulnerable. Life
is fragile so handle with prayers.
BUT, YOU CAN BE HAPPY!
There
is something that money cannot buy that when you find it you’ll have
everything. That something is what God
gives to us freely. “False success is
based on image; true success is based on proper
values.” “Happy are those
conscious of their spiritual need.” Matthew 5:3
“A lover of silver will never be satisfied
with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
A materialistic life style does not guarantee satisfaction.
In fact, it tends to do the opposite. “People whose primary motivations are
financial are much more likely to be anxious and depressed than people who
value strong relationships with others.”
"Money never made a man
happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness.
The more of it one has the more one wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it
makes one. If it satisfies one want, it doubles and trebles that want another way.
That was a true proverb of the wise man, rely on upon it: ‘Better with little
the fear of the Lord, than a great treasure, and trouble therewith."
Benjamin Franklin
Let
the unhappy past go. Yesterday was finished last night. Let it go, refused to
keep on thinking about it and stop regretting past happiness, what you should
have been that you didn’t be. Make the right choose today – BE HAPPY! You
can be happy. Christ can give you joy which leads to happiness, contentment and
fulfillment.
(John14:
27) God is not the author of your unhappiness. The things that make you cry and
regret living is not from God. (John 10:10)
If
you want peace in your heart and forgiveness for your sins, please say this
prayer from your heart and mean it. Dear
Lord Jesus, I have been living my life without you. I need you now. I open the
door of my heart, come into my life, Forgive me of all my sins and make me a
anew person, fill my heart with your joy so that I may become the person I was
meant to be. Amen.
Williams Patrick Praise Jr
Author/Inspirational
Speaker
(from IWAEGBE family)
(from IWAEGBE family)