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Do you see the evil or the good?

Last night at Bible study, we were discussing the fall and why it's important to see both the goodness and the evilness of man and this world. I thought the reason we need to see both is so that we will have humility about who we are and who God is.

If we only see the goodness of man and God, and don't see the evil in the world, then we will forget God and lose sight of Christ and think we don't need God.

If we only see the worst of man and this world, we will lose hope and forget the beauty and grace of God.

I shared the passage that I posted yesterday and it was particularly relevant to what we were talking about.

Many days I get so mired down in the struggles of my days that I don't enjoy my life and my kids. I have been consciously trying to focus on enjoying them and seeing the blessings that they are--I need to look for the goodness because I have to fight getting overwhelmed by the worst of this world.

I also shared that I am thankful for the joy my kids have. I am continually amazed by it. It is a gift from the Lord and I think it will help them cope with other things that they will have to deal with in their lives. Sami--her exuberance and joy will help her tackle the tough things that make her want to throw in the towel. Autumn--her joy will help her get through the times when her feelings get hurt deeply because she is so sensitive. And Eli, I suspect because depression runs in the male side of my family, his joy will help balance his struggle with sadness later in his life. I thank God every day for that joy and wonder in amazement at it.

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