20. Good Human Behaviors
Someone says it is so difficult to be a human, especially a good one. – Not at all! It takes lots of efforts to be a good human.
- Self-restraint:
It’s up to your choice to happily betray your friends today, then later you will have to suffer catastrophic consequences and no one will pity you. Or you may choose addiction and indulgence today so that tomorrow you will have sickness, a short life, and everyone will laugh at you.
You may want to be a person who knows how to restrain yourself, control yourself, and have dignity; Or Cao Ba Quat said, “half human, half monkey, half orangutan,” that is a primate living according to instinct and animalistic nature.
God teaches us to find the narrow way, “Enter through the narrow gate; … How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life” (Matthew 7:13-14). Because “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mc 14:38).
- Altruism:
You cannot live alone, because “to live is to live with.” God arranged for us to live in a society. Human nature is social. You exist and develop thanks to your father, mother, spouse, family, country …
What you have today, such as body, health, knowledge, and spirit, are all given to you by your ancestors and society. You have the duty to be “loyal to the country, filial to the people.” Contribute back to the society and the humanity. You can’t just be selfish for yourself.
God teaches us to live positively, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
- Upward direction:
Humans are always evolving. Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow is more knowledgeable than today. Everything is gradually improving. You can’t imagine why our ancestors’ generation was so ignorant. Likewise, your children are also criticizing you for your ignorance.
Spiritual life must also progress in the same way. God teaches us to always move forward, “Be holy as your Father in heaven is Holy.”
In short:
To be human, one must “be able to be like a human” (Tu Xuong). To be human, one must first have human identity. Blaise Pascal rightly said, “Qui fait 1’ange fait la bete” (whoever wants to be an angel, will become an animal).
God came to earth to become a human like us, “like us in every way, except sin” (Heb 4:15). Saint Luke wrote, “Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Humans have three dimensions: biological, psychological and spiritual. That’s why it’s called “spiritual among all other things.” Both East and West, from ancient times to modern times, from practice, theory, and emotion all recognize it as a matter of course.
Christianity is good human behaviors.