This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation.
One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.
IOU
owe taxes
owe allegiance
owe an apology
********************
A good word for us to think about as we head towards Memorial Day, because to a huge extent we owe our freedom and prosperity to those we are honoring on that day. Because of their sacrifice, we can enjoy our freedom to have pool parties and cookouts, and to make our own choices about who we hang out with and how we'll live out our religious beliefs.
But I think too many of us are more concerned with what the world owes to us. Maybe we live in the most entitled society ever. People think they deserve to make at least as much money as the next guy, but also can't be bothered to put in any effort at work. People who believe they should be able to get their college degree without paying for it, or even attending the classes! People who demand that everyone agree with them and respect them even though they disdain and disrespect everyone else.
It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Maybe instead of focusing on what we think the world owes us, we should consider the great debts that we owe to others. I think we'd be more likely to be gracious, generous, grateful, and geuinely tolerant if we realized that we owe more to others than everyone owes us. I think it's safe to say that everyone who is successful owes some part of their success to someone else.
Existence is a strange bargain. Life owes us little; we owe it everything. The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose. ~William Cowper
You owe it to all of us all to get on with what you're good at. ~W.H. Auden
My husband has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim. ~Queen Elizabeth II
In general, yes, we do owe others respect and truth and kindness. We owe love and gratitude to those close to us - our family and friends, those who gave us a helping hand or a second chance or forgiveness. We may owe apologies to some of those people. And we may owe it to them and to ourselves to do our best, to help others, to offer forgiveness, and to live generously. It can be said that we owe it to the next generations to be wise in our generation.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us . . .
~Luke 11:4~
Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. Owe nothing to anyone―except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.
~Romans 13:7-8~
After all, we all owe every breath and every beat of our heart to God. And we owe everything to Jesus who gave his life for us.
All that I am I owe to Jesus Christ, revealed to me in His divine Book. ~David Livingstone
********************
I hope it's okay if I end a very serious Five Minute Friday with a couple of very light-hearted quotes, as is my custom!
We owe a lot to Thomas Edison - if it wasn't for him, we'd be watching television by candelight. ~Milton Berle
Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. ~Sophia Loren
Oh preach, Sophia! And with that, I need to go figure out dinner. Although it won't be spaghetti tonight.
********************
Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email.
©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I agree, it makes a big difference when we focus on what we owe others rather than on what they owe us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteKym, I love your post!! So many good titbits in here to ponder. This especially made me think: 'We may owe apologies to some of those people. And we may owe it to them and to ourselves to do our best'. in light of recent family implosions, this will be something that inspires me this week. Thanks for sharing. Kath, visiting from FMF #4 this week.
ReplyDeletePraying that God will carry you through whatever is happening in your family, and glad I could play a small part. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI couldn't agree more! Great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteI help teach a group of differently abled adults at my church. One summer, the lesson was on how to pray. You've probably seen this one. You use your hand and begin with your thumb. That's because we often give thumbs up so the thumb is to praise God. The pointer finger is to confess our sins. The middle finger, which is usually the biggest, is for thanking Him for all He has done or given us and should have the most. The ring finger is intercessions for others. The pinkie, which is the smallest finger, is for intercessions for ourselves. I love praying this way as it keeps me focused and helps me to remember all of my blessings. Of course, some nights, I fall asleep before getting to my pinkie finger!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
That's such a simple way to remember how to pray. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteEach heartbeat is my obligation,
ReplyDeleteand I owe each awful breath
that my life be tetestation
to that which I do owe my death.
Far now are the lovely dreams
that in past defined my days.
They came hostage to the screams
that are in turn complaint and praise
to the Lord of Hosts who seems remote,
somewhere up there in the sky,
but in my heart I'm just a goat
who really doesn't want to die
alone in the dark vasty deep...
Oh Lord, make of me, yes, a sheep.
Praying that you feel the Lord near you, Andrew. Thank for another very moving poem.
DeleteKym, this has gotten so hard.
DeleteI love this. I owe everything to Jesus. I am so grateful for everyone in my life.
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful as well. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteLove this post--including the Sophia Loren joke at the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.