I have lived on this planet by God’s Grace for nearly 50 years and on reflection there are things that I have learned along the way that have enabled me to deal with life’s little situations. Here are my top 10.

1. God in Jesus Christ in my life creates in me change, hope and purpose. If Jesus Christ is the blazing centre of the solar system of our lives, then all the planets will be held in their proper orbit. But if not, everything goes awry.

2. The right road always leads to the right place; therefore, get on the right road and go as far as you can on it. I am totally persuaded that wrong actions do not lead to right ends. Or, more positively, living in the right way, that is, doing the right things, inevitably leads us to where God wants us to be. Keep the room clean where you are, and in God’s time, the door to the next room will open.

3. The door to success swings on the hinges of opposition. Remarkably, this saying implies that opposition is not just a natural accompaniment to success, but that it is a means by which the door opens. We can think of many biblical examples. The opposition of Joseph’s brothers opened the door to his leadership in Egypt. The taxing of the empire opened the door to getting the Messiah born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth, and thus fulfilling prophecy. The betrayal of Judas opened the door to the salvation of the world.

4. It is never right to get the right thing in the wrong way, like good grades, wealth, power, position. Don’t sacrifice your principles. Be a principled, not a pragmatic, person. Churches need to be principled, not endlessly adapting to culture. People need to make a promise and keep it no matter how much it hurts.

5. The part of your character that is deficient is the part that needs attention. This is the counterpoint to the advice: Go with your strengths. There is truth in both. Be encouraged by every evidence of God’s grace in your life, and use your gifts and graces for his glory. But you will become smug and vain if you do not keep your deficiencies and weaknesses before you and work on them.

6. Don’t give in. Finish the job. God can’t use someone who surrenders. Warning: “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). Promise: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

7. It isn’t enough to just be good. Be good for something. The essence of Christianity is not a passionless purity. Don’t just think of righteousness or holiness in terms of what you avoid, but what you do. Don’t be a don’ter; be a doer.

8. Positive living produces negative effect. This is wise counsel, If you only ever focus and live on the good you will reject even ignore the bad. If you think you can live your life without ever dealing with the bad, you have lost touch with reality. “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). This implies doing something with the bad, not ignoring it.

9. Living to try and change the past is a futile exercise and can lead to not appreciating today and the hope of tomorrow. Let the past go, learn its lessons well, embrace the present and live in the hope you have in Christ Jesus

10 Being prepared to lose all to gain all. It is worthwhile saying. It is no fool to give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot loose. Often Christianity is seen as loosing the fun in life. This great faith in fact is not about what you loose but what you gain, but to gain you first have to learn to loose.