Choose your influences

Most of us try to live the best life we can. This can be tricky when there is no rule book on how to live your life.

There are many influences on every one of us.

We are influenced primarily by family in our early years.

We learn a lot from our parents as they try to bring us up in the best way they know, trying to give us the best life possible.

Family can influence us in other ways. Were you the eldest or youngest child?

This often makes a difference to our outlook on life.

From school onwards, we make friends who may well try to guide us in a particular way. How do we decide how to live our lives? Do we have exactly the same values as our parents?

Do we adopt exactly the same outlook as our friends?

For me, and I suspect many other people, I inherited a lot of my views from my parents because I was exposed to them before I could think about things for myself.

The pandemic has thrown up many ethical questions for us all.

Do I always where a mask? Do I have the vaccine? Do I self-isolate when requested to do so? Do I get surge tested when requested?

Some of these actions are much more to protect the community than ourselves, but all have both elements.

Why should I do something that does not benefit me in any way?

It seems to depend on how community minded you are. Jesus Christ put the community first, regardless of personal circumstances.

Living our lives the way that Jesus taught will benefit both us, in knowingly that we have helped the people around us, and the community we live in.

Geoff Peck from Woosehill Church writing on behalf of Churches

Together Wokingham