Be Free From Desire

Do not desire; do not be attached. Your desire, your passion will make you possessive, selfish and jealous. It will make you suspicious, paranoid, worrisome and afraid. Your fear of loss can lead you on the path to your dark side and to your sinful nature.

James 4:2,3

You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Be free from attachment and you will have no loss to fear. Lalaya tayo kung hindi tayo natatakot mawalan. May mga taong nagsusuot ng magagandang alahas tapos sapo-sapo nila tuwing may kasalubong dahil takot na ma-snatch. Tupperware na lang ang isuot para maagaw man ay di bale na lang. Magpapagawa ng pagkaganda-gandang bahay tapos ang buong mag-anak ay hindi na makalabas nang sabay-sabay dahil kailangang may magbantay parati. Why do we invent our masters? Why do we create an “amo” in our lives? May mga misis din na bantay nang bantay sa mga mister na hindi na umuuwi. Umuubos ng pera kababayad sa lahat ng taxi para sundan nang sundan ang asawa hanggang Manaoag, Pangasinan! Kung ayaw umuwi sa inyo, hayaan nyo. Alangan namang nawalan na kayo ng asawa, nawalan pa rin kayo ng personal na buhay? Bakit mo ba pinipilit sumiksik sayo yung ayaw? After you have done what you could, kung ayaw nya, eh di wag. You both lose but he loses more. Do not be the satellite of anybody kahit asawa pa ninyo. Lalakad ka ba nang paluhod para lang balikan? Sa palagay mo ba sa iyong pagmamakaawa na balikan ka, pag binalikan ka nga, igagalang ka pa? Binalikan ka nga, igagalang ka pa? Binalikan ka nga pero alila ka na lang. Lagi ka na lang sinisigaw-sigawan. Eh di wag na lang. May mga tao kasing madaling mahulog ang loob at sobrang ibinibigay ang puso. Limang araw lang na sunud-sunod inaabutan ng Chiclet, bumigay na agad. Eh ganun naman talaga yung pagpapaibig. Susuyuin kang sandali, tapos ikaw naman, in love na kaagad. Sa susunod na pagkikita nyo, ibinibigay mo na sa kanya ang hikaw mo. Sobra kasing emosyonal. Sobrang romantiko. Sobrang manood ng mga telenobelang puro pag-ibig. Sobrang mahilig magpatugtog ng mga malulungkot na love songs. Kaya nagiging kawawa. Kaya hahabul-habol. Kailangang may sariling kahulugan ang buhay ang tao whether or not there are other people around. We must not build our world around one person because if this person leaves you, your whole world will crumble. Do your marital duties. Be loving, be nice, be kind but love God above all. Kawawa ang mga tao na ang number one sa buhay ay tao lamang. That is why we have to develop our loving relationship with God.

Do Not Be Oppressed By The Standards Of The World

Get as much out of life as you can, in spite of the lack of justice and logic. Be happy.

Eat and drink whenever you can. Yung iba diyeta nang diyeta hindi naman balak lumaban sa Miss Universe. Hindi tuloy kayo sumasaya. Huwag namang maging overweight dahil baka kayo matumba wala nang makabuhat sa inyo. Pero huwag namang payat na payat at humpak na humpak ang pisngi nyo. Nangangayayat, nangangalirang, tuyung-tuyo ang balat tapos pale na pale. Pag may nakasuot sa ‘yung baro mukhang hanger ka na. Why be oppressed by the standards of the world? Hindi ka naman mag-e-endorse ng bikini, hindi mo naman balak lumaban sa beauty contest. So bakit mo pinapahirapan ang iyong sarili? Tandaan ang sabi ni Solomon—eat and drink and enjoy. But don’t overeat and overdrink. Don’t undereat and underdrink either.

 Mayrong kumakain pa lang iniisip na kung anong iinumin para siya magsuka. Huwag kayong magpa-uto sa mass media at sa advertising. Bawat tao mayron talagang frame na ibinigay ang Diyos. 

Mayron talaga siyang design at ganun talaga yung mass niya. Hindi tayo pare-pareho. Hindi lahat pwedeng maging kamukha ni Julia Roberts. Dapat may kamukha rin si Donya Buding. Basta huwag lang naman tayong excessively fat na unhealthy na. Tama nga ang iyong timbang according to the standards of the world pero wala ka namang kabuhay-buhay. Everybody’s beautiful—hindi ko kayo inuuto! Sabi yan ng Diyos. Alam nyo naman ang Diyos mapagmahal kahit sa makasalanan so nagagandahan siya sa bawat isa.

Enjoy and be ready for anything! Bakit itinuturo ni Solomon yung enjoyment? Kasi sabi niya walang logic ang buhay and sometimes biglang dumarating ang disaster. At least, kung biglang dumarating, hindi ka magsisisi. Dahil nung may panahon ka, na-enjoy mo yan. Pag dumarating ang low moments mo, naghihirap at hindi mo makain ang gusto mong kainin, at least naaalala mo na once upon a time, pinagsawaan mo rin yang masasarap. This gives you strength in your difficult days. And sometimes this is enough to sustain you until the next round of blessings come your way. So habang may chance, enjoy it.

BE HAPPY!

 All people, good or bad, end up dying. Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin na maging masama ka na lang. Death levels  and renders everything useless. So habang buhay, be happy! That is his message! Inulit na naman niya—enjoy eating and drinking. Sabi niya, “Go! Eat your food with gladness! And drink your wine with joyful heart. For it is now that God favors what you do.” Kaya pag kumakain, huwag kayong nagmamadali. Enjoy your food. Huwag lunok nang lunok. Una, baka ka mabilaukan. Pangalawa, baka ka magkaroon ng indigestion. Pangatlo, ang pagkain masarap lang sa dila dahil nandun yung taste buds. Matapos lumampas yon at at nasa esophagus na, it is already tasteless. And then it becomes excess baggage. Kaya dapat hindi mo yan nilulunok agad kundi ninanamnam-namnam! Biruin mo, inilagay ng Diyos sa ating dila ang mga taste buds na yan. Magkalinya-linya pa yung taste ng asim, ng tamis, ng pakla, ng pait, ng alat. Linya-linya pa yan para talagang dahan-dahan mong nalalasap. Para masabi mo. “Wow! Ang sarap naman ng asim ng sukang Paombong! Napakasarap naman nitong asim ng magga at maalat ng bagoong.” Ang sarap-sarap! Tapos lulunukin mo lang agad? Kaya dapat, ninanamnam.

So, kung makikinig ka kay Solomon, dagdagan mo ang oras mo sa pagkain. Haba-habaan mo. Lalo na kung may mga kausap ka, when you have company. This is what life is all about. Kasi, sabi niya, baka bukas bigla ka nang matumba, mamatay ka na. So habang nandito ka, enjoy what is available. Sabi niya, be happy. It is important to be happy. Seize the moment. Huwag nang palampasin.

Maraming tao wala nang ginawa kundi magtipid. Tipid-tipid-tipid! “Kailan po tayo kakain ng masarap?” “Fifteen years from now anak. Makakakain na rin tayo ng masarap.” “Buhay pa ba tayo non?” I have seen so many people na walang ginawa kundi magtipid nang buong buhay nila. Nung namatay pinag-agaw-agawan lang tuloy yung namana ng kung sinu-sino. Do not allocate today’s blessings for tomorrow’s needs. Tomorrow’s needs will have tomorrow’s blessings. Kaya nga ang dasal, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Huwag nyo laging i-suspend o i-delay ang enjoyment. Kung minsan sadism na ang tawag don. Yung wala kang inisip kundi, “Balang araw mag-e-enjoy din ako.” Nandiyan ka pa ba non? Sigurado ka ba na nandiyan ka pa ba balang araw? Kaya importante, while we work and save for the future, we don’t neglect enjoying everyday. Today can be your last.

Do Not Be Attached To Material Things

When it comes to people, let’s be attached but not too much. But when it comes to things, do not be attached at all.

Luke 12:15 “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

If the Lord gives us nice possessions, let us enjoy them. But if they are gone, let us not chase them. Kung nandyan, salamat. Kung wala, salamat din.

1 Timothy 6:9,10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Kung may pera tayo, salamat. Yuyuko tayo nang konti at magtatrabaho para magkaroon tayo nyan. Pero hindi tayo lumalampas sa mga hangganan na itinakda ng Diyos para lang magkaroon. Hindi tayo nakikipagsira sa ating mga kapatid, hindi tayo nakikipag-away sa ating magulang at sa ating esposo’t esposa dahil lang sa material things.  If we begin to love the things that give us comfort, we will become their slave. Hindi dapat kasanayan. That’s why it is important to learn to be contented. This does not mean learning to be dreamless or goal-less but learn to be contented. When you do your best with what God allows, then enjoy the fruits or your labor.

Sabi nga ni Paul,

Philippians 4:11, 13

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Ang lahat ay nagagawa sa tulong ng Diyos. Ang lahat ng kulang ay nalalampasan at napupunan; ang lahat ng hina ay napapalakas sapagkat may Diyos tayo sa ating puso.

Do Not Be Obsessed With Pleasure

Wag laging maghanap ng sarap. Do not seek and love pleasure.

Luke 8:14

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures and they do not mature.

The goal of going to church and the Christian life after being saved through faith in the Lord Jesus is to grow and mature and to be like Christ. Many people do not mature because they love pleasure not discipline. Parati nating sinasabi, para mag-mature sa pananampalataya ang isang tao, dapat may ministry sya. Pero yung iba ayaw dahil ayaw mahirapan. Dahil siyempre may mga meeting at may demand sa oras, makakabawas ito sa free time at sa sariling kagustuhan, kaya wag na lang. These people end up not maturing at all. Do not be obsessed with pleasure. Pleasure is ephemeral; it is fleeting. When the stimulus to be entertained is no longer there, we become empty.

There are people who find comfort and happiness in watching movies on DVD. When the credits start scrolling up the screen and the show is ending, what do they do? They pop in another disc in their player because the moment they stop they feel empty and alone again. This happens because the things that we depend on for entertainment and happiness never last. While they may be enjoyed, especially if the Lord allows you to have and enjoy them, do not love them. Treat them as dispensable items in your life. Kaya it is challenging when we go back to basics and convince ourselves that we can live without many things that we have been used to.

      Even Moses was commended.

Hebrews 11:25

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

Siya ay lumaki sa royal court ng Egypt subalit minarapat at minabuti pa nya na makilala bilang isang Hebreo at maging mistulang alipin tulad ng kanyang buong lahi, kesa siya ay magpasasa sa mga sarap sa Egypt na kadalasan ay maraming kasalanang kasama.

Do Not Love This World Too Much

Wag sobrang mahalin ang mundong ito, bagamat dapat tangkilikin at dapat pagsumikapang ayusin, linisin, pagmalasakitan. Do not love life in this world too much because we are just pilgrims passing through. Nakikiraan lang tayo sa mundong ito at hindi naman tayo talagang magtatagal.

James 4:14 What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Ang buhay daw ay para lamang isang usok na sandaling-sandali lang nandyan at pagkatapos ay nawawala.

Hebrews 9:27 Man is destined to die. Whenever I am asked to deliver a message in a funeral, I always have a little regret inside of me. I always think it would have been better to deliver the message before a loved one died. Dapat kasing inihahanda ang mga anak ng Diyos sa pagharap sa mga kapaitan ng buhay. At isa na dyan ay ang kamatayan ng mga mahal natin sa buhay dahil tiyak na darating yun. Mahirap magbigay ng ginhawa o comfort sa isang taong kaharap na ang bangkay ng kanyang mahal sa buhay.

Dapat bago pa man mangyari yun, nakahanda na ang ating loob sapagkat tiyak na mangyayari. The Bible says man is destined to die.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So anything that is physical and fleeting must not be loved too much. That includes people.