Moments of Meditation

Paul Simpson McElroy

• Publisher: Papamoa Press
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781789128260
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

A selection from the McElroy meditations for wisdom and understanding the problems of life, for help in conquering troubles, for serenity and facing forward with new confidence. Lovely, simple illustrations by Stanley Clough.
"For many thousands who have been in pain or trouble, doubt or grief, the calm wise "Meditations" of Dr. McElroy have been like a helping hand, held out to guide them over rough stretches on the road of life. To reach Dr. McElroy and his healing words, people in the St. Louis area can dial a telephone number and be answered by one of these meditations recorded on tape. And here in this book, for permanent use anywhere, there is a selection from the McElroy meditations for wisdom in understanding the problems of life, for help in conquering troubles, for serenity in facing forward with new confidence."—Publisher's Note

MOMENTS OF MEDITATION

LIVING WITHIN LIMITATIONS

IF WE live under a handicap—and who does not—let us not pity ourselves. The tragedy is not to be found in the handicap but in our inability to live within the margins of our strength. For even within our limitations there is an opportunity to improve and find contentment. We shouldn’t be dissatisfied with what we have not, but rejoice with what we have. The secret of rising above rather than being defeated by our handicaps, of being victors instead of the victims of circumstances, is to be found not in rebellion—but in adapting and making the most of situations that confront us.

BASIC NEEDS

WITHIN all of us there are basic needs which must be met if we are to live a full, well-rounded life. One of these needs is rooted in the desire to be somebody. The feeling of being important, of being wanted and needed, is as essential to us as food. We cannot live by bread alone. A word of encouragement, a compliment, a kindness or a favor, will do much to assure another he is important and means something to somebody. To let someone know that he is wanted is one way of letting him feel important and one of the best ways for us to feel important is to be of service to others.

OUR NEW DISCOVERIES

NOW is a great time to be alive. Discoveries that have taken place within our lifetime are both wonderful and terrifying. The possibilities of what man can yet do seem unlimited but the value of any new discoveries will depend upon how they are used—for destructive or constructive purposes, to hurt or to heal, to hinder or to help. How we respond will depend upon how strong within us is the desire to serve, upon whether or not our love for others is greater than our fear of others, upon the extent we are willing to sacrifice and place service above self, upon how much we are willing to give for the sake of the welfare of all. The extent to which we are committed to ideals will determine the use we make of power, for ultimately the spiritual will control the material.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

HAVE you ever tried to put yourself in the place of a member of some minority group? Have you ever tried to look at things from the other person’s viewpoint? Have you ever searched for the reason why, when our misunderstandings arise? Most criticisms, complaints, fault-findings, and prejudices arise from failure to see the other side of an issue, or the reasons another person reacts as he does. The tragedy of our age lies not in that men are poor, or wicked, or ignorant, but in that they know so little of each other. We should not judge until we have walked in the other person’s shoes or sat in his place. Many times it is not the other person who is wrong, but we—reluctant to change our views when we are wrong.

UNKIND REMARKS

IT HURTS when unkind and untrue things are spoken about us and the temptation is strong to deny the charges, but to do that only aggravates a situation. The best way to respond to derogatory or uncomplimentary remarks is to live in such a way that all men will know that they are lies. What we are always speaks louder than any words that may be said against us. It is also true that the person who is tempted to criticize or to speak ill of another will do well to count the proverbial ten before he speaks. The world would contain more friends if all people would learn to hold their tongues and leave unkind things unsaid. It has been said, “Condemn not, and you will not be condemned.”

QUIET INSIDE

WHEN we desire a thing too much we become ill at ease. It is not the overly ambitious, but the person who is poor in spirit and humble in heart who lives at peace with himself and the world. An Australian bushman is alleged to have paid this tribute to Sir Hubert Wilkins in pidgin English: “You set down quiet and listen allatime and eyes belong you lookabout see everything. Allabout feel quiet inside when with you.” Such quietness inside marks a strength to those who are inner-directed. They have thought through their sense of values so that their desires are limited and they are not pulled off their course by distractions. Following our passions and desires often brings remorse of conscience rather than peace of mind. True inward peace is often found in resisting passions not in satisfying them. The danger is not so much in what we want but in wanting something simply to satisfy unworthy desires.

SETTING NEW GOALS

HOW many of us have set up a goal for ourselves and then when we have reached it been content to stop there? Sir Donald Campbell says that when his father broke a world’s record he immediately set for himself a still higher goal. The moment we become satisfied with things as they are, the moment we are content with the status quo, we begin to move backward. We cannot hold our own by standing still or by doing nothing for all life is movement, forward or backward. This idea of setting new goals for ourselves is the secret of personal challenge or growth and also the means of progress in many fields of endeavor.

THINGS WE MUST DO

THERE are things we must do whether we want to or not. The...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• PUBLISHER’S NOTE
• MOMENTS OF MEDITATION
• REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER