This page has been in the works for more than 20 years, in my head mostly, but the title and the list below is a play on words between Gibbs’ Rules and Jonathan Edwards Resolutions List of 70 rules he created between 1722-1723 (which might need some grouping or explanation by Desiring God). Since all great men, fiction or theology, seem to have a good set of rules to live by, I have an ongoing running compilation of “resolutions” of my own. I mixed the two individuals above on purpose, because this is meant to be somewhat serious, and somewhat light hearted. If we truly lived by a list of rules a, b, c we start to get into some great legalism issues. The Israelites never could quite live up to the rules (laws) that God gave to Moses (the Torah), which ultimately led to Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. So, while these rules are the ones I find important in life, the ultimate way to live is only found in the 66 canon books of Scripture, period.
These below are a combination of resolutions, proverbs of a sort, guidelines, and wisdom sayings that have come across my way over the years.
- Love the Lord your God
- Love your neighbor as yourself
- Give all glory to God
- Pray, continually
- Seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6.33)
- Do not elevate anything above God (that’s idolatry)
- Do not elevate anything other than God above your spouse (that’s idiocy)
- Do not waste time, it’s more previous than anything ever known to man
- Listen more than you talk
- Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor him in any way [JE #16]
- Respect people’s privacy and property but don’t expect the same in return
- Keep data organized
- Do not be narcissistic, being self absorbed repels all people, wisdom, and knowledge
- Observe nature in contemplation, with God alone
- Get ride of more junk than you bring in
- Study Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions for wisdom in living
- Go off the beaten path, take the long way around once in a while
- Collect only knowledge or tools to access knowledge
- The customer is not always right, really.
- You can learn more from most people than you can teach them if you are open to learning
- Do not be dependent on or addicted to anything other than the Lord (Matthew 6:24)
- Never argue with an idiot, they will win, in their minds, every time, and learn nothing from your wisdom
- Read the Bible in its entirety every year
- Code is poetry, write it as such. Organized and within its perimeters.
- I reserve the right to grow in wisdom, rethink my position or opinion, and reach a better conclusion
- Just because I am older doesn’t mean I know more
- Just because they are younger doesn’t mean they know more
- Learn from other people’s ideas, but don’t copy them
- Experience equals wisdom in most circumstances
- Experience and study are far more valuable than someone who “thinks” or “feels” a certain way
- People will not like the way you do things. Ignore it when possible and do what you do best.
- Having faith doesn’t mean never having doubts or questions, it does mean remaining obedient to God –John Ortberg
- Follow the Commandments list (God makes lists too)
- Listen and take advise on constructive criticism, ignore all non-constructive criticism that is backed by ignorance
- There is no such thing as coincidence [GR #39]
- Do not listen to un-constructive criticism
- Learn from others as much as you can
- Do not procrastinate, it is purely the work of the devil himself
- Use my photography skills to make a material difference in ministry
- The desire to write grows with writing. ~Desiderius Erasmus
- Do not argue with someone for the sake of arguing
- Read, study, and lean God’s word at a specific time each and every day
- Do not let your actions be controlled by someone else’s desires or wishes for themselves
- Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. [[Dec. 19, 1722.]] [JE #36]
- Always take time for people who need your help, and if you can’t help, pray for them
- Work to not worrying, about anything, let Christ be in control (Matthew 6 and 10)
- Think bigger, outside the box, and make more goals