“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6, New International Version
I’m your average 21-year-old college student. I’m not too much of anything special. I make decent grades. I think my friends are the greatest. I miss my family on the daily. I could probably make it to the NPL (National Procrastinator League).
I also have plenty of flaws. Plenty. I go out more than I probably should. Sometimes I’m grouchy whenever I don’t get my college average of four hours of sleep a night. Also, my mouth could really use a filter. Sorry, mom.
I also have some things about me that I like. I try to treat others with respect and fairness. I enjoy being happy. I like to make people laugh, and I will try to cheer you up if you’re feeling down.
I have the way I was raised to thank for that. I was raised in a heavily religious home. My grandfather on my dad’s side is a Pentecostal preacher. I swear my grandmother is an angel sent from heaven. My father was obviously raised in the church, and my mother can be found in the second pew every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday. This is the ritual that was instilled in me.
I learned the books of the Bible, even if I can’t remember them today. I learned that God would always be with me, even though I sin on a regular basis. I learned that showing people love and compassion is the right thing to do, even if I don’t always follow these instructions perfectly.
My grandfather’s favorite book of the bible is Proverbs. Why? It gives life advice. It isn’t hellfire and brimstone. It’s love. It’s respect. It’s kindness. The book of Proverbs raised me. I learned all the good parts of me from those 914 verses.
I, like many others, have struggled with my faith. How in this world with over 4,000 different religions, can mine be the one that’s correct? If I’m honest with you, I’m still not sure. That’s not the point, however. Most religions teach the same things the Bible does. It teaches you to just be a decent person to others.
I’m thankful that I was raised in a religious household. You know, maybe I’ve been raised by the wrong religion. Maybe Hinduism is right. Maybe it’s Buddhism. Maybe Islam. What do all these things have in common, however? They teach you to love. That’s the point of the post. It doesn’t matter what religion one is raised in, it teaches a strong moral code that benefits you in the long run.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received came from my grandfather, and if everyone followed it, this world would be a better place.
“Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.”
