What does it mean to be a good person?

I always liked to understand the meaning of everything around. Everything in the world has its purpose, all the objects around us, the events that we experience, everything has a certain meaning and significance. And when in my childhood I thought about what makes sense to me, what is my goal? The answers to these questions were determined by whom I want to be, what kind of person to become? Of course, I told myself that I want to be a good person in every way. And then I thought, what does it mean to be a good person and why do I need it ...

My name is Alexander. I grew up in a small town in an ordinary family. Even when I was a teenager, my mother started going to church and took me and her brother with me, but to be honest, we were not big worshipers. We have always been looking for how to pass this time and what to do instead of sitting and listening to the sermon. But already then, I began to think, above myself. The main question that I asked myself then: "Why is it so difficult to be a good person?" The fact is that I am far from being an ideal character, and I often argued and quarreled with my parents. Often brought to parents a lot of trouble. I always managed to get into some kind of unpleasant story ... And almost always it happened easily and involuntarily, but to do something good ... It was necessary to exert a lot of effort. And in this perspective, being a good person, seemed to me something unreal.

When I was about 11-12 years old, I remember that for the first time with my brother we decided to go fishing far from home. The difficulty was that the rates where we planned to fish were located 12 kilometers from the house. We were persuaded by our friend, Lech, his father often went to this place and came with a good catch. And we, full of hope and confidence about the big catch, went there three together. We left the city, then through the fields, forest belts, and fields, fields, fields ... Lech showed where to go, my brother and I tried to remember the road to understand where we are. This was the first time that we ourselves, without parents, got out so far. It should be noted that we moved rather slowly, as we were riding two bicycles. Yes, and we left quite late, so on the spot there were only after lunch (such of us were fishermen :)). We decomposed, started to fish. First time was not biting, but after a couple of hours, our friend Lech, caught the first fish. It was very difficult to tear my eyes away from the float, the time flew by unnoticed. It was getting dark. "Probably, it's time to get ready to go home," our friend said. "It's quite early," I thought. "Somehow it's getting dark early." The sun went fast, and we, a little more half, decided to get ready to go home. When I looked back, I saw that the sky behind us was completely covered with black rain clouds. This species greatly accelerated our collection. We realized that the rain will find us on the way back. In a word, as soon as we packed the fishing rods with the rest of the equipment onto the bicycles and drove home, it started to rain. It became difficult to ride. The field road quickly softened, turning into mud. It was difficult to move on bicycles, and we drove them in our hands. The way home just started. The rain intensified.

Then my brother, a thought occurred to cut the road through the field. "We'll go straight to the asphalt road leading to the city," my brother said. "We can go faster on it, and we'll get soaked less." He said that he knows approximately the direction in which to move. This idea seemed to us quite good, and we turned to the field. As soon as we stepped onto the plowed field, where the beets grew, the wheels on the bicycles simply dripped with mud and stopped spinning. So we literally had to drag them along with all the things. We began to move even more slowly, and worst of all, very quickly we lost our strength.

Deciding to take a short break, we sat in the middle of this beet in the field, covered with oilcloth. By this time the sun had already set, the rain poured like a bucket, thunder, lightning, all as in a horror film. Then we could not go on like this. We decided that my brother would go home, call his parents, and they would take us from this place.

When he left, we stayed with Lech together. All around was pitch darkness. My friend began to cry, he became frightened. "What if they do not find us? What if we freeze? "It was very difficult to calm him down. I do not know why, but at that moment I had an idea that I heard in the church. The idea that God keeps and helps believers in Him. I did not know what would happen to us and how to get home, but I was sure that God somehow should help with this. After all, I believed that he was and wanted to help. I told Lehe about this, but it did not really calmed him.

Literally a few minutes after our dialogue, we heard some sounds. We shouted back, thinking that they were parents. The voice approached us. It was a strange man, about forty years old. He asked who we are and what we do in the middle of the night in the field, far from the city. We said that we were lost. He told us to leave things and follow him. We went without hesitation. A few hundred meters away was his house. Just one small house on an endless field of beets. We went into the house, we were met by a girl of our age and grandmother. It was his family, they lived here three together. We were given warm clothes, fed and put to sleep. A few hours later, this house was found by our parents. So ended this story.

But I still had many questions ... Why was this man suddenly in the middle of the night, decided to go to the place where we were sitting? How did he discern us in the darkness, during the downpour and wind? We looked many times around and did not even see a house. When parents asked him about it, he could not fully explain to them. After this incident, I began to wonder, and what if God really is involved in our lives? What if He somehow made him find us?

Not that this adventure led me to God, rather no. I believed before that He is. But, after that, I began to think more often about His participation in my life.

In my youth, I periodically returned to spiritual questions. Sometimes I was curious about reading the Bible, learning something about God. And sometimes it was boring, and I did not have a huge desire for it.

My opinion about the church changed when I started traveling to various Christian camp meetings. It turned out that believers are very interesting and sociable people. God gave me wonderful friends, the communication with which inspired me. They are ready to share with me not only happy and cheerful moments, but also to survive the difficulties. To be honest, I could not even imagine that there are so kind and sympathetic people. And thinking about good people, I had in mind just such. It kindled my heart to seek God. We traveled a lot together, we conducted different programs. It took a huge part in my life. I think that believing people - people with principles, filled with meaning, had a huge and valuable influence on my life. Their behavior and goals, and most importantly - the relationship, it was said that there is someone or something due to what they are. I realized that it's possible to become a good person.

I began to seek more and more opportunities to know God, because I saw in Him the solution and the opportunity to become a good person. And maybe it's even a little egoistic, but it's true, I wanted to know God, that he would make my life better. I did not think why I needed God, but I thought about what He could do for me.

When I began to seriously study the Bible, I began to realize how amazing and inspiring the fact is that God is also looking for opportunities to change me and my life for the better. This prompted me to act.

I remember my first job, which I settled on. I asked God to help me find a job after graduation. I was in different organizations, but most of them had to either work on Saturday, or other conditions did not suit me.

Friends advised me to apply to the pension fund, they had a vacancy. I came, met with the director, the interview was very good, the tasks that needed to be performed were clear to me, and I also had an education in accounting that was supposed to help in this work. Terms and salary, too, I satisfied. The only thing I decided to clarify at the very end of the interview is whether Saturday is a working day. I asked this question after the director said that he was interested in finding employment for me. It was unfortunate to hear that often Saturday is a working day. I tried to somehow smooth out this issue, move working Saturdays to another day, or work out in extra time. But it was impossible. The director of the fund was also very surprised by this condition, we talked for a long time on a spiritual theme. But still he could not accept me until I could work on Saturdays. He gave me 2 weeks for me to change my mind.

At such times it seemed to me that God and faith in Him do not make my life better, but rather complicate it. After I had to finally give up, wondering why God would not help me find a job, I got a call from the organization in which I had left the statement a few weeks earlier.

It was a big enterprise in our city, where there was a vacancy of the system administrator. We needed a person older than 25 years, with a diploma, an official work experience of at least 5 years, and certain knowledge in the accounting field. I thought, Lord, if you helped me get this job, it would be a huge miracle. I was then 17 years old, I did not have a diploma in this specialty and especially 5 years of experience in this field. The chances that they will take me were insignificant. But I was interested, and I wanted to work there.

I was invited to an interview, which was conducted by the general director. When I went into the office, he took out a huge packet of questionnaires and started looking for mine. I looked at the pile of questionnaires and realized that the chances are actually even smaller. We started talking on the topic of work, the interview was normal, at the end I was told: "Thank you, if anything, we'll call you back." And after another 2 weeks, they did call back. I met again and got this job. Interestingly, the salary here was 2 times higher than in the fund, where I was offered work before that. It was really a response from God.

Analyzing my life, I see that God cares and supports people who believe in Him, who need His help, and rely on Him. You know, the advantage to trust in God is that it gives its peace and tranquility in difficult, stressful times. This is another facet of the life through which God makes you better.

Despite the many experiences that I have experienced and experience with God, there are always thoughts that push him to doubt Him. Learning to trust God ... In my life it's a long and complicated process. And overcoming these doubts, in small steps I become closer to Him.

At the age of 19, I left home. I entered the institute in Poland, it was the first trip so far from home. And this was for me a difficult test ... When I arrived, I did not know the language, I did not have any friends or acquaintances around, there were only a lot of different kinds of difficulties. I had to learn a lot and worked hard, I was not ready for it. I have to confess, sometimes I even had depression. Probably, it was then, I began to discover God as a person, as a close friend.

I remember the moment when I had to pay for my studies, the amount of debt was about 500 dollars. And I had nowhere to take them, I spent the last money, having paid for the previous months. I was frightened by the unknown, what happens if I do not pay, if I can not find the money? I had no one to ask for advice, to ask for help. Of course in the church I was always taught that all problems can and should be entrusted to God and He will help. But for God to help so real and concrete, and right now, and just as I need ... I doubted it. I prayed for this, but probably not because of trust in God, but more from hopelessness. On the last day of the payment period, someone put an envelope under the door of my room. I picked it up and immediately went out into the corridor to see who it was. But there was no one, it seemed very strange to me. I opened the envelope, there was money, the missing amount of $ 500. It was a real experience. I still do not know who was this generous sponsor to this day. But it was definitely not without God's help.

God is real, able to really help, can really support. And most importantly, what is important to me, God can make me better. Make me a good person, realize my dream. Since then, I've started to really make plans with God. I had some ideas, desires and thoughts about my life, my character, my future family and much more. I represented all of them to God. Today I really see how God realizes all of them. It is amazing…

I seriously thought about the relationship with God and believed that you can achieve a lot with Him. I specifically began to pray about many issues in life that worried me. I prayed for the future wife, about where I will live, work. Will I be able to provide for myself and my family? I thought about the children that I will have. Will I be a good father for them? He spoke with God about his health, about his relatives and friends. And many other questions that appeared and appear in me are experiencing different kinds of events and situations. I began to turn to God with concrete thoughts.

In my life there have been many changes, and I believe that it was the Lord who directed all events. Now I'm working on the "Hope" TV channel in the animation design department. This combined my craving for creativity and the desire to serve God. I have a wonderful wife, and recently we had a son. I really hope that I can be a good example for him, a good father in all respects. It is said that children perceive God through the prism of what their parents are like. In this I feel a great responsibility. This is another reason why I want to be better to inspire my son.

Some time ago, I received an unpleasant news that a terrible accident had occurred in the city from where I was from. The passenger car was moving along the main street of the city at a huge speed, the driver failed to manage and the DPT happened. 4 people were killed. One of them, my former classmate, Misha. I knew him well, and this news brought me sadness and sympathy, to him and his family. I do not know the details of this incident, I do not know who is right, but who is to blame. But like this, in one split second life can end. Am I happy with my life if tomorrow all ends? Do I want to change something today? Do I have the strength to do this? Such thoughts involuntarily pose a question: "And what is the meaning of everything in my life? Why is this all? ". I found an answer for myself in God and His word.

When I look back at my life, I see how close to me God is. How much He could change me. It sounds, probably, a bit fanatical, but I'm 100% sure that it was he who gave me the opportunities that I now possess. It was he who gave me what I have. I owe everything to Him only.

A few years ago, when I opened a new branch of HopeChannel in Tanzania, I was invited to spend a few weeks intensively working with graphics for the employees of the future studio in Dar El Salaam. Inspired by an interesting trip, I also had different experiences associated with it. Turning to God, I asked Him for special support and help in this trip.

On the way there, I had a transfer in Istanbul and about 6 hours break between flights, and I decided to walk around the city, see the sights. At the airport, I took a map, with a backpack on my shoulders, I took the subway and went to the city center. Since I was in Istanbul for the first time, I did not really know where to go, I just went to one of the central metro stations near which there were a few places of interest, with the hope that I would ask the road from someone from the local. I slowly walked around the city, asking the way for local people and finding out where and how to get there. After a while, I met one interesting person, oriental appearance, his name was Aslan. He spoke Russian a little. He went to work, but did not hurry and said that he could happily accompany me to a famous mosque, which is just on the way. We walked along the road and talked. He told me about himself, I talked about myself. He asked what led me to Istanbul, I told him that I was passing through here. That I work on a Christian television channel and am now on my way to Tanzania to help organize the broadcasting there. We touched upon spiritual questions. He was a Muslim, but he was very open minded to Christians. We got to know each other quite closely and talked for a long time, the time flew by unnoticed. He asked many questions, we visited a few very interesting places.

The more we communicated, the more I was amazed at his hospitality. He showed me many very beautiful places, told interesting historical facts related to the city. I was very grateful and in return invited him to visit me, if he will be once in Kiev, so that we will certainly meet. We exchanged phone numbers.

It took about 3 hours, I had to return to the airport. I asked the way to the nearest metro station, and we headed in that direction. Approaching the corner of the next street, he asked to wait a few minutes for him to peek into one store. After 5 minutes he returned, and we went on. Approaching the metro station and already saying goodbye to him, he said: "You know, I have to confess something to you." "Yes, of course, I'm listening," I replied. "Actually, I'm not who you imagined." I was in some bewilderment, he continued. "Actually, I do not work where I told you. What I occupy is difficult to call a job. I am a criminal Chechen group. We are about 70 people in the city, we are engaged in various not very honest schemes of making money. And one of them is kidnapping people. And we watched you from the airport to steal you. " I stood in front of him, listened, I was speechless ... I did not know what to say. If they wanted to do this, they would have stolen me without problems. For another 2 minutes the guy told me how they do it, how much they ask for money, etc. I was in shock for a while, did not imagine that this could happen to me. In some Hollywood movies with rich people, maybe it's possible, but with me? Can someone steal me? I did not think about it at all.

After a pause he continued. "You know, you're a good man. You're doing a good job. I met you, and after our communication, I decided that I can not do this to you. When I went to the store, I just met with friends and talked them out of stealing you. " He took out a pen, wrote down his real phone number and the address on which he can be found in Istanbul, and said that if I need any help, I can turn to him. I said that I did not expect such a thing from him, and I'm glad that he changed his mind. We talked for a few more minutes, shook hands and parted.

I rushed to the airport, as the time to the flight was already expiring, and I was late. All the way to the plane, I thought, about what exactly made him change his mind? I was sure it was God's intervention. Realizing in what unfair and cruel world, we live, I do not know and do not understand what you can rely on? Who can be trusted except God.

Sometimes I wonder what awaits me in the future ... Despite the many happy and good moments, how many difficulties and experiences do I have to endure? God never promised that life awaits us without difficulties. But in difficult and difficult moments, He will be especially close.

Looking at his son, how he grows up, plays, laughs ... I think about what awaits him? Of course, I do not know the answers to these questions. But I know that there is someone who cares about my life and the life of my family. I know that He can take care of us not only today, but tomorrow.

The Bible says that one day we will meet Christ. He will come for us in the clouds of heaven, and we will have the opportunity to live with him. Where there will be peace and justice, where there will be confidence and confidence in the future. There, where there will be only good people. I have always pictured this to myself as a perfect world, where there will be no place for tears, grief, where there will be no suffering and distress. Everyone will do their favorite thing and everything will be perfect and harmonious. And thinking about the question "Why do I want to go there?", I never gave myself a clear answer, because it's so clear.

I always set certain criteria for myself. To be a good person is to be so-and-so and so ... and so on. But this is just a set of rules and goals. Which by themselves do not make a huge sense. But to be good for Christ, for the sake of what he has done for us and does every day. This is a real challenge. That's the real motivation, when you understand what He has done for you, how much He loves you. It starts to change you, causes you reciprocal love. That makes you a better person. And it's cool really. :)

May God bless you, know and trust Him.