A closely knit family is characterized by shared values. In this replication blog, I intend to share the values I’ve received from the people who went before me. The life they’re living now is an affirmation of the values they’ve imparted. I’d like for this growing family (Victory/LifeBox Dumaguete) to benefit from it.
When I was new in the faith, both my pastor and my discipler would in different occassions tell me these exact words:
Get the good ones, forget the bad ones.
It sounds like a cool cliché, but that is one loaf of wisdom for someone praying for a good start. It comes hand in hand with the unpopular truth that people will, whether you like it or not, disappoint you.
In our highly hierarchical culture as evidenced in our kuya and ate cultural assemblage, it is normal for us to subscribe to our seniors. A kuya or an ate wields a powerful influence over anyone younger than them. It’s rather common to idolize their style, words, opinions, and behaviors. That’s how it is in Philippine society.
Taking this our context, it’s a fact that we ought to honor people older than us. But there is also another fact that not everyone our senior is worth imitating. Or to be more specific not everything old people do are wrapped in wisdom. Why do I sight older people? Because young people follow older people. Again, I don’t question honor but I don’t buy follies. One guy who’s decades older than me once told me, “Archie you should listen to me”. And I did. He then insisted that I “follow” him. To be honest, he lost me on that. Why? Because he failed to warrant an audience for himself because of his lifestyle. I will not follow anyone to replicate their folly. That’s how important integrity is. I then get the good ones (his warm smile, kindness, passion) but forget the bad ones (too many to mention).
This is the reason why young people must have an ingrained convictions for themselves early on in their walk. And you get to have these convictions as you read the Word of God and as you surround yourself with the right people. Well the unpleasant reality is that not all church people are right people (spare me the debate pls).
Another example: let’s say an FB post, nag like ka sa isang post na sabit or walang kwenta. Kamo post kasi ni kuya at ate so ayos yan. What does that mean? In case you forget what the word like means, it means you are agreeable, meaning you are symphatetic with the thought of the person and therefore you are likeminded. You can aptly think of many more examples at which you need to draw a conviction for yourself in making decisions instead of copying decisions. Think through any area: alcohol, necklines, mini skirt, relationships, time, studies, work, words, attitude, money, discipleship, and so on.
There are a lot of older people whose lives I closely watch and deem worth imitating. And I thank God for men figures like them. Amazingly they’ll be the first to tell you they’re not perfect so again it’s wise for us to get the good ones and forget the bad ones.
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