In one of my readings this morning, I came across a verse from Rev. 3:11 which says: “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.” As I began to reflect on this verse, it occurred to me that many a time, in life, it is easy to lose the good things that we have because we are focused on what we don’t have. It is easy to lose faith because of difficult time; it is easy to lose a job, a spouse, a good friend because we have taken them for granted; it is easy to presume and become careless in our dealings with parents and siblings only to be broken because they are no more. How we deal with life is our choice. As we search for greater things and greener pastures, it is important that we do not lose sight of the good things we have that need to be preserved and protected. The old adage says: “A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush”. Negligence and presumptions can cost us dearly. If you have a job, do it diligently even as you are looking for another one; if you have a spouse, devote time and love to your spouse even as you are working hard to make ends meet; take hold of your faith practice even as you hope for God’s promise to come true; be nice to your siblings because you never know what may happen tomorrow. Many are raised with good values and it is important that we safeguard these values even as we meet different people with different values. Therefore, be careful what you listen to, what you read; where you go, the kinds of people you hang out with, and what you allow to influence your belief system. All that glitters is not always gold. Let us cherish what we have even as we look forward to greater things.
