Words from the Wise: Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks

I receive weekly wisdom (via email, of course) from The Chief Rabbi of England. His recent thoughts on choosing to love and give over choosing to live in complaint were, in my opinion, worth quoting:

“Love. Love your spouse and you will have a happy marriage. Love your children and you will have a happy family. Love your work and you will have a happy career. Love life and you will be blessed. “If only” is the opposite of love. If only my partner were more attractive, my children more appreciative, my colleagues more friendly, if only I earned more, achieved more. “If only” is toxic to happiness. It focuses on what we don’t have instead of what we do. The consumer cultures invites us to an existence of “if only.” It’s the worst investment of life.

Following Jesus, we get to swim in a tradition that, against the consumer culture all around us, invites us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5:18). Today is a good day to give thanks and choose love rather than complaint.

Brandon