by Jeffrey Harrington
Last time we ended on how there are things in this world that are trying to seduce you and grab hold of you. These things are only a temporary fix on a bigger problem. The things that try and seduce you are things like money, drugs, and power. For me it was the money and the drugs which brings a false sense of power and a whole lot of so called friends.
Just like anything else in life that is trying to win you over, you will always get the best first. In the beginning I felt invincible like no one could touch me that feeling is high in its self, but that cockiness is what gets you hurt.
This way of living almost took my life from me if not for the grace of God. I was a normal kid growing up, never really got into trouble but I was seduced by watching movies and listening to certain music. From a real young age I would watch movies like Good Fellows, Casino and other gangster movies that made those guys look so cool I just couldn’t wait to grow up and be like them. Now I’m not blaming the entertainment business for my mistakes, but by me filling my mind with that stuff my image of a man with money and power was the real man, the respected man, the one everyone wanted to be friends with. You see my mind set was twisted.
This life will only take you to one of three places- jail, institutions, or death and that’s a guarantee. And one day you will realize this. But I just pray that we can help each other to figure this out before it’s to late. Most men I talk to that went through this had to go to prison to learn that this life will get you no where.
So why not skip all the heart ache I went through and put my family through and start thinking different now. Or if you know someone like that, fill them in that a “real man” isn’t on the corner selling dope, or the guy with the most money and women, flashing a 9mm. But the real man is taking care of his family and involved in the community. Those are the men we need to start looking up to. So we need to change the way we think.
The first place to start reforming your mind is in the word of God, Proverbs 23:7 says, “what a man thinks so he becomes.” Usually we think what we see and listen to, so as long as you fill your self with the wrong stuff, you will think wrong way and ultimately do the wrong things. It is important for us to start acting right and to be good role models for the next generation. I know sometimes there might not be a good role model at home and a lot of us grow up in single parent homes but that is no excuse. Find a good local church and get a good spiritual father or mother.
There is nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it. Just don’t wait until it is to late. One wrong choice can alter you life forever.
If you or anyone you know needs someone to talk to for advice from somebody who knows what you are feeling email me at jeffthebarber1@yahoo.com, comment us here or go to www.rebuildingfamiliesfoundation.org. Together we can change this world for the better. The “we” though, has to include people like you.
