Jeremy Taylor - Question 2

       I think rule four is easiest for me: “Nurture a love to do good things in secret, concealed from the eyes of others, and therefore not highly esteemed because of them.”  I have never liked for any “good thing” I’ve done to be publicized.  I always felt like attention was wrongly directed to me.  It didn’t make sense to me when I knew the true reason and Motivator of my good work.  So I like to do things quietly, in secret.  There is something special about getting to share that with the only One whose eyes see me.  And I guess this way it doesn’t run the risk of my works being in vain.

Rule fourteen is hard for me a lot of times: “Be content when you see or hear that others are doing well in their jobs and with their income, even when you are not…be content when someone else’s work is approved and yours is rejected.”  I am very much accustomed to success.  I generally do pretty well at most things I do.  And I absolutely hate failure.  I hate the idea of doing something the wrong way or messing up.  So if someone is doing well in a certain area and I’m not, it is hard for me to be content.  It’s not that I’m not happy for them; I’m just not content that they are in that position and I’m not.  I have had to learn the lesson of living in grace so many times, and I’m still learning more about it.