5. Life of Reporting

Points to Ponder:

Growth comes when we can be honest with someone we trust loves us.  Reporting is when we honestly share our victories, challenges, and lessons, ideally to someone in a position closer to God than us.  They can help be a channel for God to reach us – give us guidance, insight, and keep us accountable to the goals we have in our lives.  We can be opened up to a viewpoint larger than our own and receive help in taking proactive steps to reflect and grow.

Discussion Questions:

• In what ways have you experienced the value of reporting to someone you trust?
• Can you think of one meaningful experience to share?  Was it easy?  What was the outcome?

Quotes:

“Life in the Kingdom of Heaven is a life of constant consulting and reporting”. – The Way of God’s Will

“Evil insists on its own way. Beyond that, evil tries to interpret everything centering on itself and step anywhere without regard for God or the world. This is the essence of Satan. Good works to liberate the whole universe, not to step on it, but to liberate it and try to develop it. However, this is not easy. The direction of goodness is the direction opposite to the direction of evil. People should be honest. Honesty can pass through everything. When you make a mistake, if you admit it honestly, you will develop. Goodness cannot grow without the process of proper guidance. Can people always do well? Because people tend to make mistakes, they can develop through that process. You can make a new determination by honestly repenting for your mistakes. Do you follow? To make a mistake is not bad. You can leap forward by receiving a stimulus from that. If you leap to the good side through that kind of stimulus, making mistakes can bring a good result. Even if you failed to study, you may be able to be an honor student by receiving that kind of experience. How miserable it is to fail instead of becoming the top student among your peers. Through failing you can receive stimulation and shock through which your results can be turned in the direction of goodness. It is difficult to follow the straight path for your whole life. You must do your best in this way. Therefore, you should be honest. People who try to hide their mistakes cannot develop. However, people who are honest develop because the universe will push them. Wherever the may go, the universe will push and support them. Regardless of east or west, past, present or future, all the excuses or hide your mistakes in order to show yourself in a better light. You will not be able to develop and you will have no friends.” – Way of the True Child

“Everyone should meet at least one mentor in his or her life on whom they can totally depend, whom they can trust never to violate their heart, and with whom they can feel totally at ease. In thisway they can understand the heart of God. They can taste the heart of a true child in relation to our Heavenly Parent.” – TF

Application:

As we grow older – go to college, move away, become adults – sometimes we don’t share with our parents as much, or taking the time requires more intention and effort.  However, connecting with them, sharing honestly about what we’re going through (“reporting”) can be can be a way for God to work through them to guide and support you.  This week we encourage you to carve out a few minutes to share with your parents some of the lessons and challenges of this past month.  (This could be in person, over the phone/Skype, or via an email.)