The Smartest Man in the World

So, perhaps my title is a bit of an overstatement. But it's just that! Only a bit of an overstatement. For the most part, I stand by my title. I hold to it with conviction. Well - some conviction. I don't know a great deal about him, I've read a few brief bio's on him, but he isn't the smartest man based upon who he is, rather what he says.

Today our topic of discussion is "Quotes of Pastor Rick Warren." As far as I can tell, he has more wisdom in his little finger than I do throughout my whole being. To better understand what I mean, I invite you to visit this, that, or the other website. I have found them to be wonderfully insightful. 

In order to give you all just a little taste of his aforesaid "insights" I will share with you more than a few of his quotes which have stood out to me, along with the reason they stood out to me. These quotes aren't particularly meaningful in my life, but they're interesting semi-abstract ideas that have either caught me off guard or caused me to view something in an entirely new light.

Without any further ado (in no particular order):

• I can't imagine God not allowing my dog into heaven.
• I really think this is just cool. Obviously he's not preaching that God will allow a person's pet into heaven, so it really raises a question of "What would encourage God to not allow your dog to enter heaven?" 
• It's kind of funny, but in all seriousness we have no real reason to assume that God isn't going to allow one of his children the opportunity to spend more time with one of his or her lifelong companions. (Especially when that companion is really quite innocent in the eternal 'scheme of things') 
• I happen to agree with many of the liberal emphasis on compassion, justice and equality. I just disagree that it's the government's role to provide everything.
• This has, in many ways, truly given me words for many of my political opinions. Before reading this I didn't truly have a great way to explain the contrast in my moral and political beliefs, but this is it: I don't feel that the government's role is to provide these services.
• In the Old Testament, it says that if you have the power to do something good, then you have to do it. You're not to avoid helping somebody in their time of need.
• Okay, so I must admit that I was a little hesitant in posting this quote... By posting this I'm forever going to feel more obligated to do my part in fulfilling this. Haha, and while this is a good thing, it's also a little bit of pressure I'm putting on myself.
• While I can't personally attest that this is legitimate doctrine of the Old Testament, I don't have any reason to doubt it's legitimacy. And even if it's not, I'm confident in saying that this is doctrine of God. 
• If good can be done by our hands, why would we hesitate? Naturally this all sounds great in words, but it's a lot of work to constantly do good. Being even mildly selfless is an incredibly tiring task. Nonetheless, it's a worthwhile task and it is (ironically it also rejuvenates a person). So, with this in mind, I hope to become better at offering my hand when it can provide a service.
• There are illegitimate parents, but I don't believe there are any illegitimate children.
• So, this one is pretty intense. Legitimacy is defined as many things including that which is lawful, just, right, proper, and logical. With this in mind, I can't really see how one could describe any child as illegitimate. 
• A child is the result of one action and a newborn child has neither broken any law, committed any unjust act, behaved in any wrong manner, nor acted illogical. No, the child has done everything he/she is expected to do. But the parents of a child labelled as illegitimate can scarce say the same, and to them should the title be given.
• So I would say God hates war, but God loves every soldier.
• I really view this one as going along with "God hates the sin, not the sinner." (Not to suggest that war is necessarily a sin as we know that in the Book of Mormon we are instructed to protect and defend our people and our rights).
• But the point is, regardless of what we or another is doing God loves us. And that's a powerful message, because it's hard to feel capable of being loved when one is doing something that displeases God. But his love his more powerful than any type of emotion imaginable in the human condition: and that's why there is always a way to return to him. (Just something to think about as I prepare to preach His gospel)
• If you have ever said, "I didn't get anything out of worship today," you worshiped for the wrong reason. Worship isn't for you. It's for God.
• So this one really kicked me down a few notches. It's just something that sort of blew my mind for a moment. Perhaps I am the only one who will feel this way, but it is simply an amazing sort of thought; it's not exactly earth-shattering, but I certainly wasn't viewing worship properly before reading this.
•  In church I feel that we often discuss the blessings that we receive from attending our meetings, paying our tithing, saying our prayers, reading our scriptures, etc... While in many ways these are self-serving behaviors, it's crucial to remember that a worship service is truly that: a worship (expression of reverence and adoration) service (the action of doing work for someone). We shouldn't go to church for us, we should do it to praise God.

And finally, I must add this one for entirely selfish reasons.

• Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.
• Often times my supposed pride is joked (I think?) about. I have been blessed with a very well sized portion of self-confidence, and it has been a bolster to every step of my life. And while I understand that it certainly wouldn't hurt me to occasionally refrain from voicing said confidence, I think that it's important to recognize that thinking less of myself would not particularly help me in my effort to think more of others. 
• With that being said, thinking of myself less is something that I can certainly work on. I look forward to the challenge and opportunity to learn greater selflessness as I strive to answer the Lord's call.

Well, I do apologize for the length and verbosity (that word is really quite the conundrum) of my remarks, but I do hope that at least one of Pastor Warren's, or my, thoughts may have affected you for the better.

With love,

-Sir Jacob van Heemskerck Duker DeBaltzo Esquire