My life sucks and it's all my fault. Thank God!

Now you may be asking yourself, why would you thank God for that?!?

Well dear friend, because if all the mistakes and suffering are of my own stupidity, then I have all the power in the world to change it! My circumstances are a direct reflection of my inner state. If I am experiencing a ton of painful suffering, then it is due to my inner house not being in order.

Likewise, if I am experiencing an overflow of joyful suffering, then it is a reflection of an inner temple that is clean and in order! One of my favorite books, As a man thinkers by James Allen, illustrates this beautifully:

“Man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to product their kind.”

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is just like the parable of the sower Jesus shares in Mt 13:3-9:

“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them, Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

In both metaphors, the seed represents what we consume and let enter into our minds. So if we are filling our minds with negative things; brain rot, half naked women on instagram, dance videos on TikTok, etc, then when we get a good seed, I.E. the Word of God, it is immediately choked by all the garbage weeds we have allowed to take over the garden of our minds. But, if we clean those weeds out, and fill our minds and hearts with good seeds; the Word, personal development, hobby content, then our garden will thrive and produce good fruit. (Mt 7:16-20)

P.S. - I will be launching a weekly newsletter: Lessons Learned in The Thick of It. It will contain journal entries, bible verses, and explorations into thoughts that I have had on my journey “through the thick of it”. My goal with this newsletter is not self glorification, I simply want to help other young men like me who are going through the hardest part of their journey, and to show you that you are not alone. The newsletter will be sent every week, and will be $5/month (less than a cup of coffee these days!) If you wish to join the waitlist, you can click this link.