Without Love, It’s Nothing

By David Brandt Berg

Audio length: 7:27
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If I speak in the languages of humans and angels but have no love, I have become a reverberating gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can understand all secrets and every form of knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains but have no love, I am nothing. Even if I give away everything that I have and sacrifice myself, but have no love, I gain nothing.—1 Corinthians 13:1–31

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If you don’t have love, all your talents will ultimately profit you nothing.2 You have to be loving in the first place; you have to be sympathetic and understanding of people’s problems.

Christianity wasn’t built on tough rules. It’s first of all built on love and consideration and sympathy and compassion. Jesus was tired out and tried to retire inside the house one day, but He looked out and there were thousands of people gathered there wanting healing. And He went out, it says, and He healed them all because He had compassion upon the multitude.3

If you don’t have compassion, if you don’t have love, if you’re not motivated because “the love of Christ constraineth me” and you’re sorry for people and you want to help them and you’re trying to do the best you can, then you are not going to get anywhere.4 You have to have sympathy and understanding. You can be sweet, quiet, wonderful, faithful, loyal, diligent and hard-working, but it’s not enough if you don’t seem to know people very well or the problems they face.

We need to have love for others and feel so sympathetic toward them that we could almost cry just thinking about them and try to do everything we can to help them and make it easy for them.

“We have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all things tempted like as we are.”5 He suffered the same things and went through the same things we do in our human condition.

I don’t even think you can be a good salesman unless you have love. What makes a good salesman? Somebody who’s sincere, who’s sold on his product. He’s convinced that it will really be a help to the people he’s trying to sell it to and can convey that sincerity and the conviction that, “You’ve got to buy this, and I’m selling it to you at the least I possibly can to make it easier for you to do your job” or whatever it is.

I’ve seen some TV commercials that fall flat as a flounder. They try to really make it sound like they’re concerned about you and your health, your beauty, your comfort. But real salesmanship, especially in our business of preaching the Gospel, has got to have love or it will never go over, it won’t sell.

We first of all have to have love. If we haven’t got love, it will profit us nothing and we can do nothing of lasting value.

People in leadership anywhere in the Lord’s work should be trying to save souls and trying to help the soul-savers. Really, sincerely, honestly concerned about them, not just doing some kind of formal, mechanical job, going through the motions without the power thereof.6 What’s the power? Love! Without that power, we haven’t got anything.

Love is the lifeblood of God’s work—the Spirit of God. As my mother used to say, if the baptism of the Holy Spirit is anything at all, it is a baptism of love.

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God only uses broken people, broken lives, broken hearts, because only a broken heart gives you love and compassion for others. Only a broken life can help you sympathize with others. Only brokenness can give you humility.

If you show a real love for people, you won’t have a hard time winning friends, winning the lost who need love. When we show love to the most despised, rejected, and discriminated classes of people in the world today, they respond with love. Love begets love! “And the greatest of these is love.”7 Of all the gifts outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, love was greater than any other—because God is love.

If the baptism of the Holy Spirit is anything, it is a baptism of love. It doesn’t matter “whether you speak with the tongues of men and of angels,” without love, you’d become “as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” “Though you understand all mysteries and all prophecies and have faith to remove mountains...,” even if you have great faith, if you don’t have love, you’re nothing.8

“And above all, have fervent love one toward another.”9 “Love one another.”10 In Jesus’ message to His disciples at the Last Supper, before He was arrested, taken to jail, beaten and killed, what did He tell them? He talked about love, that love was the most important thing.11

“Above all thy getting, get love.”12 Wisdom is love, did you know that? Because God is wisdom, but He’s also love. “Love one another.” “Have fervent love one toward another.” What is the greatest commandment? To love God. What’s the next greatest? To love your neighbor as yourself! He said that’s like unto the first one.13 To love your neighbor is to love God. Without love, it’s nothing.

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Love is always patient;
love is always kind;
love is never envious
or arrogant with pride.

Nor is she conceited,
and she is never rude;
she never thinks just of herself
or ever gets annoyed.

She never is resentful;
is never glad with sin;
she’s always glad to side with truth,
and pleased that truth will win.

She bears up under everything;
believes the best in all;
there is no limit to her hope,
and never will she fall.
Love never fails.
—1 Corinthians 13:4–814

Originally published in 1984 and 1969. Adapted and republished March 2014.
Read by Jerry Paladino.


1 ISV.

2 1 Corinthians 13.

3 Matthew 14:14.

4 2 Corinthians 5:14.

5 Hebrews 4:15.

6 2 Timothy 3:5.

7 1 Corinthians 13:13.

8 1 Corinthians 13:1–2.

9 1 Peter 4:8.

10 John 15:12.

11 See John 13:1, 34–35.

12 Proverbs 4:7.

13 Matthew 22:37–39.

14 ISV.

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Viver sem Preocupação

Uma compilação

Podem todas as preocupações acrescentar um momento que seja à sua vida? —Mateus 6:27[1]

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Será que atravessamos o rio antes de chegarmos à margem, tememos problemas que nunca chegam, ou esperamos que o Senhor nos traga o mal em vez do bem? Em outras palavras, devemos ver se nossa alma não está cheia de cuidados. Cuidados, nesse caso, significa incomodar-se e se preocupar sem necessidade.

“Não se preocupe” é um mandamento simples, mas muito difícil de obedecer. M. D. Babcock oferece algumas sugestões para quem se sente derrotado por conta de preocupações, um problema que acomete a muitos. “O cristão ansioso prejudica mais os outros do que a si mesmo. Fere a fé dos que o conhecem e prejudica a reputação do Senhor que prometeu suprir todas as suas necessidades”. Podemos orar sobre e por qualquer coisa. Vamos nos aprofundar na afirmação: “Em tudo dai graças e com súplicas faça as suas petições diante de Deus”. O que podemos levar diante de Deus podemos confiar a Deus. Aquilo em que depositamos nossa confiança, Ele aperfeiçoará por meio da Sua fidelidade. Contanto que nos esforcemos para alcançar o melhor, Ele realizará o que sabe ser melhor para nós. Podemos não alcançar o sucesso esperado, talvez tenhamos que nos disciplinar de maneira que não esperávamos, mas o Pai conhece as necessidades dos Seus filhos. Somos capazes de fazer o que Deus espera de nós, ou de suportar o que devemos suportar. Será que não existe água suficiente no oceano por Ele criado para encher o nosso jarro? Com as necessidades de cada dia virá também o cumprimento da promessa: “Minha graça te basta”.

Não devemos nos esquecer da continuação do versículo “dando graças”. Esteja atento às misericórdias. As bênçãos ganham novo brilho quando as contamos. O olho vê o que coração escolhe. Se quiser ser uma pessoa sombria, existem suficientes coisas ruins para deixá-lo assim; se escolher a alegria e a felicidade, não faltam belezas para torná-lo feliz. Melhor é perder as contas das bênçãos do que deixá-las escapar por ficar contando problemas.

Divida o versículo em três cordas — confiança, oração e gratidão — e prenda-se a Deus com elas, vivendo ansiosos por nada, orando por tudo e agradecendo por qualquer coisa. “E a paz de Deus que sobrepassa todo o entendimento guardará seus corações e mentes em Cristo Jesus”. —Thoughts for Every-Day Living[2]

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Deus não abre caminho para nós antes da hora. Não promete enviar ajuda antes da necessidade. Não remove obstáculos antes de os encontrarmos. No entanto, na hora da necessidade, a mão de Deus sempre se estende em nossa direção. Muitos se esquecem disso e passam a vida se preocupando com possíveis dificuldades futuras. Esperam que Deus aplaine o terreno e abra suas veredas com quilômetros de antecedência. Mas Ele prometeu abrir o caminho passo a passo, conforme surgir a necessidade. Devemos clamar a promessa ao chegarmos à beirada da água, quando estivermos em meio à inundação.

Muitas pessoas têm tanto medo de morrer que lamentam não terem “graça para a hora da morte”. É claro que não vão ter graça para morrer se estiverem bem e com boa saúde, pois estão ocupadas cumprindo seus deveres e a morte está longe! Por que haveriam de ter graça para morrer nessas circunstâncias? O que precisam é graça para cumprir seu dever, graça para viver. A graça para morrer virá na hora da morte. —J. R. Miller

*

Não andeis ansiosos.[3]

Não são poucos os cristãos que vivem ansiosos, temendo e tremendo. Ter perfeita paz em meio às tribulações do dia a dia é algo que precisamos aprender. De que adianta se preocupar? Esse sentimento nunca fortaleceu ninguém, nunca ajudou ninguém a cumprir a vontade de Deus, nem abriu um caminho de escape. A preocupação estraga vidas que poderiam ser úteis e lindas; ansiedade, inquietação e cuidados são expressamente proibidos pelo Senhor. “Não andeis ansiosos”, ou seja, não ande preocupado, “com o que haveis de comer, ou com o que haveis de beber ou vestir”. Ele não está dizendo que não devemos tomar medidas de prevenção ou planejar. Mas diz que não devemos nos preocupar com essas coisas. É possível identificar quem vive em um mundo de angústias e apreensões pelas linhas de expressão no rosto, pelo tom de voz, pela tristeza na sua vida e pela falta de alegria no seu espírito. Entregue sua vida a Deus e se verá nas alturas, contemplando as nuvens aos seus pés. —Rev. Darlow Sargeant[4]

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O histórico da fidelidade de Deus no passado se combina com a esperança em um futuro melhor contribui para um fim: preparar-nos para o presente. Como disse Tolstoy, este é o único tempo sobre o qual temos controle. Não é possível mudar o passado e o futuro é imprevisível. Posso apenas viver o momento. Cristãos fiéis oram: “Seja feita a Tua vontade, aqui na terra como no céu” e passam a realizar a vontade de Deus — amando, praticando a justiça, vivendo em paz, tendo misericórdia e perdoando — hoje, enquanto vivem na terra.

Quando refletir no total da minha peregrinação espiritual, tenho a tendência de me sentir normalmente fico nostálgico por aquelas ocasiões quando Deus parecia estar muito mais próximo. Descobri que a fé não é uma condição na qual devo me acomodar ou aprender a dominar. É um dom de Deus e preciso orar por isso diariamente, como oro pelo pão de cada dia. Uma amiga que ficou paralítica depois de um acidente diz que o ponto decisivo na sua fé foi justamente esse princípio. Não conseguia pensar em passar o resto da vida paralítica, mas podia se imaginar vivendo um dia de cada vez com a ajuda de Deus. Na Bíblia, encontramos 365 versículos que nos dizem para “não temer”, a instrução mais repetida na Bíblia, como se Deus quisesse nos lembrar que todos os dias enfrentaremos dificuldades que podem nos fazer temer.

“No amor não há medo,” diz o apóstolo João. “O amor perfeito lança fora o medo…” E ele aponta a fonte do perfeito amor: “Nós o amamos porque Ele nos amou primeiro”. Em outras palavras, a cura para o temor não é mudar as circunstâncias, mas ter um firme alicerce no amor de Deus. Peço a Deus para me revelar o Seu amor diretamente, ou por meio da minha relação com pessoas que também O conhecem. Acho que Deus gosta de atender esse tipo de oração. —Philip Yancey[5]

*

O guia acompanha a pessoa por um caminho novo, mas não lhe diz o que vai precisar fazer antes de chegar à encruzilhada. Espera até o momento em que precisará lhe dizer o que fazer ou que direção deve tomar. O Senhor faz o mesmo. Na maioria dos casos, não precisamos saber em detalhes o que faremos amanhã. Jesus disse para não nos preocuparmos com o amanhã. Geralmente, devemos planejar, mas não nos preocuparmos. Fazer o que Deus sabe que podemos fazer, o que nos pede para fazermos hoje e estarmos preparados para o mesmo amanhã. —David Brandt Berg[6]

Publicado no Âncora em março 2014. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] NTLH.

[2] Streams in the Desert, Volume 2 (Zondervan, 1977).

[3] Filipenses 4:6 NTLH.

[4] Streams in the Desert, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 1965).

[5] Reaching for the Invisible God (Zondervan, 2000).

[6] Mais que Vencedores. Livro da série Mananciais (Aurora Production, 2002).



Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

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Tudo é Possível

Uma historia verdadeira

Carla tinha dois anos e oito meses quando notamos pela primeira vez sua dificuldade de apoiar-se no pé esquerdo.

No início era quase imperceptível, mas, com o tempo, foi piorando. Quando nem o pediatra nem o ortopedista conseguiram diagnosticar o problema, pediram uma tomografia.

Os resultados do exame e o prognóstico foram devastadores: três tumores malignos no cérebro — de um tipo muito agressivo chamado meduloblastoma — que, no caso dela, já se encontrava no quarto e último estágio, e atingira a medula óssea em várias partes do corpo. Os médicos nos disseram para não desanimarmos, mas também para nos prepararmos para o pior, pois se tratava de um câncer que avança rapidamente nas crianças. O nosso mundo desmoronou.

Carla foi internada para uma cirurgia de emergência para a remoção dos tumores, sob o risco de entrar em coma a qualquer momento. A cirurgia durou sete horas e não foi bem. Conseguiram retirar apenas o tumor maior. Quanto tempo Carla ainda permaneceria connosco? — Perguntávamo-nos.

Os médicos sugeriram o uso quimioterapia para retardar o crescimento inevitável dos tumores que ficaram, e dar mais algum tempo à nossa pequena.

Mostramos os resultados dos exames para outros especialistas que confirmaram esse tratamento como único recurso disponível.

Nos doze meses que se seguiram, marcados por lutas diárias pela sobrevivência de Carla, tivemos de lidar com os muitos efeitos colaterais da quimioterapia e das cirurgias às quais foi submetida. Com o tempo, o avanço do câncer perdeu força e os tratamentos foram suspensos, mas passados seis meses, um dos tumores voltou a crescer rapidamente e Carla foi novamente operada às pressas. Conter a doença estava se tornando cada vez mais difícil.

As condições de nossa filha pioravam continuamente e os médicos não nos davam nenhuma esperança. Precisávamos um milagre de Deus, como os que, ouvíramos falar, outros receberam quando a medicina não oferecia mais recursos. Que maravilhoso seria, confidenciávamos entre nós, se Deus fizesse uma maravilha assim por Carla! Por um ano e meio imploramos a Deus que a curasse, mas não nos atendeu. Por quê? O que estaríamos fazendo de errado? Tínhamos de descobrir!

Começamos a estudar a Bíblia e alguns materiais impressos e de áudio que recebêramos de um missionário Crista, e, quanto mais estudávamos, maior se tornava nossa fé. Vínhamos orando, mas não em plena fé, verdadeiramente contando com a resposta. Era por isso que nossas orações não alcançavam os resultados desejados! Acreditávamos em Jesus desde a infância, mas sempre O víramos distante e separado de nosso mundo atual e seus problemas. Mas conforme pesquisamos a Sua Palavra, começamos a perceber que Jesus está verdadeiramente vivo e atuante nos dias de hoje

Nossas buscas nos levaram a outras promessas: “Para vós, que temeis o Meu Nome, nascerá o sol da justiça, trazendo salvação [cura, em algumas traduções] debaixo das suas asas.” (Malaquias 4:2) “Para os homens isto é impossível, mas para Deus tudo é possível.” (Mateus 19:26)

Estava claro que Deus era capaz de fazer o que a medicina não podia, mas como nos beneficiarmos da Sua ajuda? Mais uma vez encontramos a resposta na Palavra: “Se tu podes [crer], tudo é possível ao que crê.” (Marcos 9:23) “Se alguém disser a este monte: ‘Ergue-te e lança-te ao mar’, e não duvidar em seu coração, mas crer que se fará o que diz, lhe será feito. Por isso vos digo que tudo o que pedirdes em oração, crede que recebestes, e será vosso.” (Marcos 11:23 –24)

Memorizamos Suas promessas e a elas nos apegávamos com tudo que tínhamos quando orávamos. “Se permanecerdes em Mim, e as Minhas palavras permanecerem em vós, pedireis o que quiserdes, e vos será feito.” (João 15:7)

Entregamos nossa filha nas mãos do Senhor para que cuidasse dela como somente Ele pode. Falamos com Ele sobre tudo, pedimos-Lhe que os tratamentos dessem certo e O consultávamos diante das difíceis decisões que todos os dias tínhamos de tomar. Sabíamos que os resultados estavam totalmente em Suas mãos.

Tão logo confiamos nossa filha a Jesus e nos entregamos totalmente à Sua vontade, a condição física de Carla passou a melhorar e os efeitos pós-operatórios da última cirurgia — infeções e febres — começaram a ceder.

Deus cuidou de cada aspeto da sua vida durante os quatro anos seguintes, quando outra tomografia revelou que os tumores haviam desaparecido. O câncer fora derrotado!

A única explicação que os médicos puderam dar foi que “a doença se comportara atipicamente,” mas sabemos que Deus interviera em reação às nossas orações desesperadas. “Buscar-Me-eis, e Me achareis, quando Me buscardes de todo o vosso coração.” (Jeremias 29:13)

Hoje, catorze anos após o início da nossa angústia, Carla é uma jovem abençoada, feliz, saudável e dona de uma fé do tamanho do mundo.

Sem dúvida, foi o tempo mais difícil de nossas vidas, mas nos ensinou que existe um Deus vivo e todo-poderoso, para Quem não há impossibilidades. Ele está sempre pronto para agir a favor dos que nEle confiam e entendem que foi para eles que Deus fez Suas promessas: “Se tu podes [crer] Tudo é possível ao que crê.” (Marcos 9:23).

Para mais informações TM. 915016534/TF.253987451

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Five Broken Cameras-Palestinian Documentary

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Dr M insists Arabs incapable of planning 9/11 attacks

MALAYSIA

BY CLARA CHOOI
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
NOVEMBER 19, 2012
LATEST UPDATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2012 09:07 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad persisted today in backing a conspiracy theory that the US government could have planned the 9/11 attacks on its own soil as an excuse to retaliate against the Muslim world.

The former prime minister, a vocal critic of the US government’s subsequent wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, pointed out that 9/11 had inspired the attacks on Muslims worldwide, even subjecting innocent Muslim airline passengers to “humiliating searches” and unwarranted detentions.

File photo of the World Trade Center south tower (left) in flames after being struck by a hijacked airliner as the north tower burns following an earlier attack by another hijacked airliner in New York City on September 11, 2001. Dr Mahathir says the Arabs could not have planned these attacks. — Reuters pic“9/11 started the horrific war against hundreds of thousands of Muslims, devastated Iraq and Afghanistan and made Muslims the universal enemies of the whole world.


“Someone obviously gained from this... find the beneficiaries and I believe we will find the real terrorists,” he told the opening of the international conference series “9/11 Revisited — Seeking the Truth” organised by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

Dr Mahathir also repeated his insistence that Arab Muslims were incapable of planning the well-strategised, multi-pronged attack that saw the iconic twin towers of the New York World Trade Center crumble to the ground in the historic 2001 attack.

“I apologise to the Arabs but planning and executing these complex operations are not something they can do very well,” he said.

“The Arabs were great warriors in the past, but after western rule, they lost their prowess in wars.”

He gave a reminder that the Arab Muslims have never won a single battle in their wars against Israel, saying that in the years after Israel was formed, even the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria were defeated by Israeli forces.

“The Arabs never seem to be able to plan or strategise and, certainly, their execution of battle plans is just plain bad. They are not disciplined people... someone would leak whatever plans they may have worked out.

“For money, there are Arabs who are even prepared to reveal the hiding places of their leaders.

“They are brave and willing to die for their beliefs, but they are not like the American marines who planned and carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden... including the disposal of the body of the victim... and they are brilliant,” he said.

Dr Mahathir pointed out that the September 11 attacks would have taken years of intense training, complex planning and strategising, and precise timing and disciplined execution.

He said if the Arabs had the capacity to plan such attacks from remote locations in Afghanistan or even Iraq, US intelligence agencies like the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) would have come to know of it and sabotage the operation.

“But the fact remains that four planes were hijacked and all crashed into their targets,” he said.

Dr Mahathir pointed out that historically, there has never been a case where four large aircraft were hijacked simultaneously, and on top of that, while they were flying in different airspaces and in different directions.

He said it was still a mystery how the hijackers managed to overwhelm the crews of the four planes, take control of them, change their flight plans to four different places before crashing them into their targets.

The veteran politician said the planes’ pilots would have at least tried to steer the aircraft away from the twin towers if they had known they were likely going to die that day.

“It would not need much change of direction to miss the towers.

“But the planes hit the towers squarely, bursting into flames apparently due to the fuel they carried,” he said.

“I can imagine trained operatives like those in the CIA or Mossad (Israel’s Institute of Intelligence and Special Operations) planning and executing this complex operation but I cannot imagine an Arab like Osama bin Laden planning and directing this sophisticated aerial attack from some remote place in Afghanistan,” he continued.

Dr Mahathir, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, admitted later that his beliefs may be inaccurate but urged those invited to today’s conference to press on with their independent debunking of the 9/11 attacks to shed light on the issue.

Speakers at the conference include, among others, former US congresswoman and former presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, journalist and film producer James Corbett and Architects & Engineers for 9/11 founder Richard Gage, who have been vocal in their clamour to expose the truth behind the attacks.

“This conference is about finding the truth regarding the world-shaking events of 9/11,” Dr Mahathir said.

“Attempts will be made to black out reports on the talks and discussions here... they will be made by the very protagonists of free speech and the free press.

“But the alternative media will frustrate them and shed light on the events,” he added.

He noted that many were likely to question the various theories raised during the conference that would place doubt on official accounts that blame the attacks on Muslim terrorists, Osama and the terror network Al-Qaeda.

“But a substantial number,” he added, “...will believe or at least rethink their views of the events.”

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What I Believe About Success

By John C. Maxwell, March 5, 2014

When will you be successful? If you’re like most people, what comes to mind is someday—somewhere off in the future, when you’ll suddenly wake up and think, “I made it! I’m a success!” That’s how most unsuccessful people see success: as something to strive for and hope to reach “someday.”

Each of us has a picture in mind of what we want our career to look like, our family to look like, and yes, from an early age we often conjure up images of the houses, cars, and things we would like to obtain. In many persons’ minds, success is something way off in the distance that they will run themselves ragged to get to—if they ever get to it at all.

At one time, I viewed success as a place where I would arrive. I defined it as the progressive realization of a predetermined, worthwhile goal. But over time, I realized that the definition falls short of the mark. It leads to “destination disease”—the belief that if we just arrive somewhere (e.g. attain a position, accomplish a goal, have a relationship with the right person), we will be successful.

But many years ago, I came to a different conclusion about success. All the traditional definitions either made success a destination to reach, or required some magic formula to obtain. I began to see success as a journey, an ongoing process of growth. And after over nearly fifty years of knowing successful people and studying the subject, this is the definition of success that I now embrace:

Success is…
Knowing your purpose in life,
Growing to reach your maximum potential, and
Sowing seeds that benefit others.

You can see by this definition why success is a journey rather than a destination. No matter how long you live or what you decide to do in life, you will never exhaust your capacity to grow toward your potential, nor will you run out of opportunities to help others. When you see success as a journey, then you never have the problem of trying to “arrive” at an elusive final destination. And you’ll never find yourself in a position where you’ve accomplished some final goal—only to discover that you’re still unfulfilled and searching for something else to do.

Another benefit of focusing on the journey of success instead of on arriving at a destination or achieving a goal is that you have the potential to become a success today. The very moment that you make the shift to finding your purpose, growing to your potential, and helping others, successful is something you are right now, not something you vaguely hope one day to be.

Let’s talk more about how to pursue each of the three aspects noted above.

Knowing Your Purpose. I believe that God created every person for a purpose. As psychologist Viktor Frankl said, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life. Everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” Each of us has a purpose for which we were created. Our responsibility—and our greatest joy—is to identify it.

Finding our purpose requires us to seek to discover two things: our passion, and our giftedness. What is the deep desire set in your heart, the thing that sets your soul on fire? What makes you cry? What do you get most excited about? And what are you good at? No one else in the world has exactly the same gifts, talents, background, or future that you do.

Think about the unique mix of abilities you have, the resources available to you, your own personal history, and the opportunities around you. If you objectively identify these factors and discover the desire of your heart, you will have done a lot toward discovering your purpose in life.

Growing to Your Potential. Novelist H.G. Wells said that wealth, notoriety, place, and power are no measures of success whatsoever. The only true measure of success is the ratio between what we might have been and what we have become. In other words, success comes as the result of growing to our potential. It’s been said that our potential is God’s gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift to him.

We have nearly limitless potential, yet few ever try to reach it. Why? The answer lies in this: We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. Many people let everyone around them decide what their agenda is in life. As a result, they never really dedicate themselves to their purpose in life. They become a jack of all trades, master of none—rather than a jack of few trades, focused on one.

Reaching your potential requires focus. That’s why it’s so important for you to discover your purpose. Commitment to continual improvement is also key. Each day you can become a little bit better than you were yesterday.

Forget the past and focus on the future. That’s where your potential lies, ahead of you—no matter whether you’re eight, eighteen, forty-eight, or eighty. You still have room to improve yourself. You can become better tomorrow than you are today. As the Spanish proverb says, “He who does not look ahead remains behind.”

Sowing Seeds That Benefit Others. When you know your purpose in life and are growing to reach your maximum potential, you’re well on your way to being a success. But there’s one more important part to the success journey: helping others. Without that aspect, the journey can be a lonely and shallow experience.

Helping others is something you can do right here, right now, whether it’s spending more time with your family, developing an employee who shows potential, helping people in the community, or simply putting your own desires on hold for the sake of your team at work. The key is to link your purpose with your desire to help others.

Entertainer Danny Thomas said, “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”

The success journey will not look the same for everyone, because the picture of success is different for every person. What doesn’t change are the principles used to take the journey. They can be applied at home, in school, at the office, on the ball field, and in church. It doesn’t matter where you are now. You can learn and apply these ideas. You can be successful today.

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Declarações Positivas para Combater a Negatividade

Maria Fontaine

Eu gostaria de compartilhar algumas declarações edificadoras da fé, inspiradas pelo Senhor, que oro ajude a turbinar sua fé quando estiver combatendo a negatividade. A variedade é grande, mas se não tiver nenhuma que se encaixe perfeitamente na sua situação, espero que sirvam de exemplos e o ajude a encontrar expressões de fé que expressem o que você sente e as batalhas que trava.

* Não importa se me sinto capaz ou talentoso ou não, estou determinado a fazer o melhor que posso. O Senhor me criou, então Ele vai ter que fazer a obra através de mim. Acredito que ter fé é agir, não sentir, portanto vou fazer o meu trabalho por fé, não importa como eu me sinta.

* Cometi um erro hoje, mas estou decidido a crescer e aprender com ele. Não vou permitir que o desencorajamento e o sentimento de culpa por causa deste erro me derrubem. Em vez disso escolho louvar Você, Jesus, por esse erro, porque com ele posso aprender maiores lições sobre humildade. E agora vou me levantar e tentar outra vez.

* Estou progredindo porque estou decidido a lutar, e hoje me recuso a desistir.

* E daí se eu não sou perfeito? Estou lutando para mudar e crescer. Enquanto eu continuar seguindo Jesus e o que Ele me mostra na Sua Palavra, posso ter certeza que vou avançar e me tornar quem Deus quer que eu seja.

* Eu vou louvar Jesus hoje não importa como me sinta. Não quero saber se estou cansado, preocupado, ansioso ou desanimado com todas essas coisinhas. Hoje eu quero me sentir feliz, satisfeito, alegre e positivo. Portanto vou encher a minha cabeça com coisas boas, pensamentos positivos e palavras de louvor. Jesus, eu Lhe agradeço por este dia dedicado ao louvor!

* Eu talvez me sinta uma porcaria, e até seja, mas Jesus prometeu que sempre nos será dispensada a força necessária. Clamo essa força para hoje.

* Eu me recuso a pensar negativamente sobre mim mesmo. Vou olhar para fora, para os outros, para as necessidades das pessoas ou situações carentes, para as almas perdidas que precisam desesperadamente de Jesus. Hoje eu vou fazer algo positivo por alguém que cruzar o meu caminho. Vou fazer algo para tornar o dia das pessoas melhor e para elas serem mais felizes.

* Jesus me escolheu. Jesus pagou por mim. Jesus pagou o preço mais alto por mim. Eu valho isso. Fui comprado por bom preço, pelo sangue de Jesus, de tão precioso que sou para Ele. Sou precioso para Jesus e vou viver o dia de hoje para fazê-lO Se orgulhar de ter investido em mim.

* Não vou comparar a minha vida negativamente com a de outros. Jesus não reteria nenhum bem de mim,[1] então, se existe algo que eu gostaria mas não me é possível ter, posso presumir com segurança que não seria bom eu ter.

* Mesmo que eu não me saia muito bem no que faço, posso fazer o melhor possível em seja o que for, e vou fazer o melhor que posso não importa o que eu pense de mim mesmo ou dos meus talentos. Mesmo que eu não tenha nenhum talento em um certo aspecto, se o Senhor me pedir algo, vai me ajudar a realizar.

* Não importa o que penso, eu sou lindo. Sou criação de Deus e ele nunca diz “foi mal.” Sou exatamente como Ele quer que eu seja. Sou lindo, porque Ele me criou. Vou ficar satisfeito em qualquer situação que me encontre. Vou ficar agradecido pela maneira como Ele me criou. Vou ficar feliz pela maneira como Ele me formou. Quero que Ele saiba que não importa o que aconteça, eu O amo e continuarei louvando.

* Eu estou progredindo na minha vida espiritual, e cada dia Jesus me leva mais longe. O Senhor não me compara com os outros, então eu não deveria fazer isso também. Vou me contentar com a maneira como o Senhor me criou, com as experiências que Ele me confiou e a profundidade e a maturidade que Ele me deu. Vou continuar amando e servindo a Ele o melhor possível, não importa o que eu pense do progresso da minha vida espiritual.

* O Senhor me fez ímpar, com habilidades únicas, uma mente e personalidade só minhas, um sabor só meu para acrescentar a este mundo. Vou mostrar a Jesus que estou feliz com a maneira como me criou e em ser criação Sua, vivendo de todo o coração a vida que Ele me deu, satisfeito, feliz e animado.

*

O coração em paz dá vida ao corpo.—Provérbios 14:30[2]

*

De fato, a piedade com contentamento é grande fonte de lucro, pois nada trouxemos para este mundo e dele nada podemos levar.—1 Timóteo 6:6–7[3]

*

Bendiga ao Senhor a minha alma! Bendiga ao Senhor todo o meu ser! Bendiga ao Senhor a minha alma! Não esqueça de nenhuma de suas bênçãos!—Salmo 103:1–2[4]

*

Tu conservarás em paz aquele cuja mente está firme em ti; porque ele confia em ti.—Isaias 26:3[5]

*

Deleite-se no Senhor, e ele atenderá aos desejos do seu coração.
Entregue o seu caminho ao Senhor; confie nele, e ele agirá.—Salmo 37:4–5[6]

Publicado originalmente em abril de 2006. Adaptado e republicado em março de 2014. Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão H.R.Flandoli.


[1] Salmo 34:10.

[2] NVI.

[3] NVI.

[4] KJV.

[5] ACRF.

[6] ACRF.

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Beyond Life and Death

An encounter between two lives
By Tirzah

“Mom, I would like to be a real help to someone in a very special way.” Those were her last words.

In the summer of 2008, our daughter, Mei (short for Meilani), was struck by a car while jogging in Texas, ending her short life of 19 years on this earth. I know that life and death are beyond our control, but I never imagined that death could be so near and come so suddenly.

Every soul that was sent to this world with its mission is very precious, and nothing could ever take its place. Mei was a very special child. From the time she was little, she took care of her brothers and sister so well, teaching them school, playing with them; she was literally their second “mommy.” She loved them so much, and even when she was away from them, she’d often call to see how they were doing.

She read the Bible, and her love for God grew as she got older. She went through heartbreaks and battles in life, yet those seeming defeats turned into her stepping stones to understand others’ sufferings.

Mei was working as a secretary at a company for six months prior to her death. When my husband visited her boss after her passing, he told my husband how Mei had changed his life; that her love and concern for others, her cheerfulness, kindness, and humble spirit touched so many people’s lives. He said that Mei literally changed the whole company. When they heard about Mei’s death, they dedicated the whole month to honor her.

She was also working at a center for abused children at a hospital, and spent hours of her free time listening to and comforting children whose hearts were broken and hurt.

When my husband was in the States, he tried to find out who the driver involved in the accident was, but the authorities wouldn’t reveal the name. All we knew was that the driver was a young girl who had just graduated from high school and that she was a good student. After my husband came back from the States, we kept thinking about the driver. So we called the police department again and this time we got the information.

I was overwhelmed by different emotions. Frustration, anger, deep sorrow, and regret swept over me, and I was tossed by big waves of agony. The more I struggled, the deeper I went. I got so desperate that I cried out to God to help me. That’s when I saw Mei and the girl in a vision, and thought, What if the situation were reversed? What if I had been the driver? Wouldn’t I want forgiveness?

I remembered the story in the Bible where a woman who committed sin was brought before Jesus and was about to be stoned. Jesus said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one. Then Jesus said to this woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.”1

My husband and I made the decision to forgive. We wrote the young driver a letter expressing our prayers and forgiveness toward her. And when she wrote back, we were thrilled to see the Lord’s hand and a marvelous plan in the situation.

I would like to share an excerpt of her letter here.



I just want to say that I am so terribly sorry for what happened. I know that it doesn’t help all that much now but I just wanted you to know that even though I didn’t know Meilani, I’ve mourned her all the same, as if she were someone I knew. In a way I feel connected to her as if I have known her all my life. It’s silly because I don’t know anything about her, but I would like to.

You have no idea just how much your letter meant to me. I’ve been agonizing for weeks about how I should write to you and how I would begin, but never could find the courage to do it. Your letter was a blessing to me and my family. You also do not know just how happy I was to hear that you and your family believe in the Lord. I have prayed (along with my entire family) countless times for your family, that God would give you peace and that you would be believers. I can only assume that Meilani was a Christian and I am so thankful to hear about that.

I can honestly say that I’m not completely okay. I’ve not completely moved on and neither do I think that I ever will. I don’t think I want to. Her memory will forever stay with me. I would like you to know that I now can say I am a completely different person after the accident. Sometimes I get angry with God and I wonder why this had to happen. Just to teach me something? I feel angry and I sometimes feel like it was too much.

But I want you to know that her death will not be in vain. I now cherish every day that I live. I now appreciate everything that God brings into my life, be it people, circumstances, good or bad, or anything else. I want you to know that I will always keep her close to my heart and now everything that I do, I do in dedication to her. Your daughter has changed my life. And I am so sorry that it had to be in this way. Like I said before, I sometimes still wrestle with the struggle of my anger and bitterness towards God about this whole situation. It doesn’t seem fair. And I am so sorry.

I know that I could not possibly mourn and suffer as much as you and your family. I would like to get to know Meilani and your family. If you would feel comfortable talking about her or anything else. I would also like to tell you about myself, so maybe you can better understand me and just how much your daughter has made an impact on my life. But that is all up to you.

I guess I just wanted you to know that your daughter’s death was not in vain, that everything wasn’t for nothing. The whole thing has touched me in a way that you cannot imagine. And I am so sorry that it had to happen. I’m sorry if this doesn’t really make much sense. Words just seem inadequate to describe what exactly I’m feeling. I just pray that God will help you to see what it is I’m trying to say.

Again, I’m sorry. But her memory will forever live on in my heart and in that of my family’s. It has altered my view of life and made me mature in a way that will be able to bless many more people to come. Be assured that we have mourned her here as if she was someone we knew. I still cry from time to time. My prayers go out to your family. And I thank you so much for your letter. Once again, I am so very very sorry.



After I wrote back to her about Mei, she wrote:



Words cannot truly describe just how much Mei has been an inspiration in my life. I feel like I have a good testimony and now I can use this experience to maybe help someone else. I wish I didn’t. But I won’t let her death be in vain. I won’t. I want people to know just how special and how wonderful a person she was, and I promise to use my gift of song to do that. I want people to know her life and to know her love of God. Maybe that’s why all of this happened. So that we together could help bless other people’s lives and help them to come to know God. It’s funny, I still feel like I’ve known her all my life, now more so that I know more about her. But I guess it just helps to feel like Mei and I are working for God together. You’re right when you say you feel her spirit; even though I didn’t know her, it’s as if she’s with me too.

Thank you for sharing with me some of your memories of Mei. I can’t say I fully see God’s plan for my life or why any of this had to happen. I’m sorry it did. I don’t think I ever will stop being sorry. But I want you to know just how much Mei has taught me. She has taught me to never take life for granted. It seems as if she lived her life to its fullest, and I want to do the same. She’s taught me to never put limits on love. She loved many people. I hope that I can become as loving as her. She’s taught me to always put trust in God, whether we understand Him or not. It’s not about understanding God, it’s about trusting and putting faith in Him, and day by day I’m learning to do that more and more.

That song “Praise You in this Storm” by Casting Crowns is my favorite song. It talks about praising God even when it’s storming. I’ve learned that even in the bad you have to learn to trust Him and praise Him and have faith that He will get you out. That He knows what He’s doing and where you’re going. Mei taught me to do that. I don’t know how ... but she has. When I feel like I’m mad at God or want to turn my back, I won’t be able to. It would be an insult to Mei and her life if I did. She lived her life for Him, and from now on I will too.

Thank you again for your letter about Mei. I hope to maybe hear more. Know that I continue to pray for your family. And I am so sorry. But just know that Mei’s life will be remembered and her love for God will be remembered.
Thank you and God bless your family.



We also received a letter from her mother. It was comforting and amazing.



You will never know the profound impact your letter to J. had on all of us, but most of all on J.! We all mourned Meilani’s death like she was one of our own, and our hearts went out to you, her family, but it was tearing J. apart. She had nightmares and tremendously anguished moments where she cried and cried with heart wrenching sobs. At other times she felt a connection to Meilani, almost like she had been her best friend and she had lost her.

She grieved for the life Meilani wouldn’t get to live, felt guilty that she would live on and Meilani would not. She wondered if Meilani had had a rich, full life, had she fallen in love, did she have brothers and sisters, etc. She longed to contact her family, to tell you how terribly sorry she felt. You have brought peace to her heart and comfort beyond words and so much more, when you revealed to us that she was a Christian and she’d gone to heaven to be with the Lord.

I want to tell you something that maybe will bring comfort to your hearts. Right after the accident, it was as if God sent angels all around. One lady gathered all the people she could, to form a circle around Meilani to pray for her. A boy who was a witness to the accident, and also a Christian, stayed near J. to comfort her, and a lady put her hands on J.’s head and prayed for her so powerfully that it shook me to my soul. The only way I can describe it is that God sent angels to minister to His beloved children. Meilani was not alone; she had a whole host of Christian brothers and sisters around her. How precious is our Lord!

God bless you for following your heart and making contact with J., and as her mother I thank you from the depths of my heart.

Ever since J. was very small, she has been blessed with the gift of song. There was hardly a moment she didn’t sing or hum, and as she got older she realized that this was the career she wanted to follow. She has had many successes, but our “little songbird” was silenced when she “met” Meilani. She could not bring herself to sing; she could not find joy in it anymore. As we watched her suffer and struggle, we wondered if she would abandon her song forever. One night she came in to our room and said that she would not stop singing, that she would dedicate her singing to Meilani. Now when she sings, there is a depth to her music that was not there before.

She has longed to know everything she can about Meilani, and I don’t know if it would be too painful for you to talk to her about Meilani, but if it would be something that would soothe and comfort you, she would be eager to hear it.

Thank you once again for showing God’s love to J. through the letter that you sent her, and may God richly bless and comfort you and your family.



I know now how deep the sorrow is when you lose your child, how difficult it is. But I have also experienced the comfort, peace, and inner healing that comes from forgiveness in spite of pain. Forgiveness not only pulls the one guilty out of hell and gives them hope and courage to live their life again, but it is also a lifesaver for those who are at the giving end.

Though forgiving won’t change the past, it can change the future. Just like it takes a while for a deep wound to heal, it is the same for healing of the heart. I still struggle emotionally and sometimes go under the waves of sorrow. But I believe the wounds will heal completely someday, though the scar will remain, and that with the magic potion of forgiveness, it will heal up without any infection.

Mei has left the physical plane, but she is still very much alive in the spiritual one. She has just stepped into a different dimension. She tells me that heaven is a wonderful place to be and that she is very happy. She also told me that it wasn’t an accident that she had left our side. It was not some cruel twist of fate. Many pieces of a great, beautiful, and marvelous puzzle were at play. Many pieces are unknown to us at present, but some things we will come to understand and see as time goes on. And we will know that God truly does all things well, and His ways are perfect and entire, lacking nothing.

“All things work together for good” is one of my favorite verses from the Bible.2 When we try to find some silver lining even in a bad situation, believing that God has a special plan in allowing it, then hardships and battles can turn into beautiful experiences, because we can learn and grow from them, and will be able to help others who are in a similar situation.

I clung to this promise for dear life when I lost Mei. Though I couldn’t see or find any silver lining, I trusted that God would bring something good out of it. Maybe one of the good things that came out of it was that through this incident, God has brought us and J. and her family close to each other. The more we get to know each other, the more we feel that we’ve known them for a long time. It’s funny to say this, but there is a strong bond between us.

When I go out at night and close my eyes, I feel Mei very close. And she tells me, “Mom, don’t worry! Everything is going to work out all right!” Yes, I have my angel with me. Mei is now my link to heaven.

This little seed, Mei, has fallen to the ground, and will bring forth much more fruit—in our lives, the kids’ lives, J. and her family’s lives, and in the lives of those who knew and loved Mei—because there is a God who knows, loves, cares, and who is powerfully at work within the lives of His children.

Originally published August 2009. Adapted and republished March 2014.


1 See John 8:3–11.

2 Romans 8:28.

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Frustrated With the Pace of Change, Rioters Storm Parliament Building in Libya

By David D. Kirkpatrick, NY Times, March 2, 2014

CAIRO—Dozens of armed rioters stormed into the Libyan Parliament in Tripoli on Sunday, setting fire to the grounds, looting furniture and wounding a prominent lawmaker in a spasm of anger at the clotted and chaotic transition after the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.

Less than two weeks after a vote to elect an assembly charged with writing a new constitution, the bedlam at Parliament dampened hopes of renewed momentum for the transition, or even of a break from the violence. Security guards outside the building encouraged the rioters, witnesses said, and looters running amok suspended the symbolic white chair of the parliamentary leader from a lamppost. Later, they set the chair on fire.

In Benghazi, Libya, at least three people were killed by gunshots, according to news reports, adding to an accelerating pattern of assassinations of former Qaddafi security officers and foreigners. Together, the events appeared to suggest that the newly elected constitutional assembly may face a race to finish its work before the country comes apart at the seams; it is already dogged by doubts about a turnout of less than 15 percent of the electorate and incomplete elections—disrupted by violence—that left 13 of 60 seats unfilled.

In Tripoli, the capital, the riot was kindled by impatience with the three-year-old transition.

Libya’s transitional Parliament had once pledged to disband by Feb. 7, 2014, but it expected the drafting of the constitution to have been completed by then. Now lawmakers are heatedly debating plans and schedules for some new system of early elections that might replace the legislature and government while the constitution is finished.

But outside the parliament building, continuous protests have been demanding the immediate dissolution of the chamber, even without a ready replacement.

By Saturday, protesters set up a tent blocking the entrance. In response, witnesses said, gunmen who appeared to be supporting the Parliament—possibly from rival militias—attacked the small sit-in, reportedly arresting or kidnapping activists. Some witnesses also reported gunfire.

When two protesters were returned unharmed at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, an angry crowd of about 75 was waiting, said Rawad Radwan, 23, a blogger who was there and filmed some of the events. As dusk settled, some fired guns in celebration, the crowd grew to a few hundred, and some of them started running for the Parliament, he said.

Witnesses said the Parliament’s security guards seemed to cheer on the protesters. “There were security guards, but they did not do anything,” Mr. Radwan said. “I heard one say, ‘Just go in—we are with you guys,’ “ he continued, suggesting that the Parliament “is not protected by the right people.”

The only resistance came from protesters intent on remaining peaceful, two witnesses said. “I saw people breaking into cars and looting stuff while other protesters were trying to prevent them from doing this, but it was really hard to stand against those thieves,” Mr. Radwan said.

News reports citing Libyan officials said that at least two lawmakers were shot as they tried to flee. One was Abdul Rahman al-Swehli of Misurata, who was said to be hospitalized but not critically injured.

Benghazi has been dealing with a low-grade guerrilla war between Islamist militants and security forces that defected from the former Qaddafi government. The security forces are now the closest thing to an army, and they have been facing a growing campaign of assassinations and bombings by Islamist militants for months.

In addition to an officer in the security forces, the victims killed on Sunday included a French citizen and an Egyptian, according to Libyan news reports.

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Interview: Karzai says 12-year Afghanistan war has left him angry at U.S. government

By Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, March 2, 2014

KABUL—Hamid Karzai was in the midst of negotiating a security agreement with the United States when he met a 4-year-old girl who had lost half her face in an American airstrike.

Five months later, the Afghan president’s eyes welled with tears as he described visiting the disfigured little girl at a hospital. He took long pauses between words. Sitting behind his desk Saturday night, the man who has projected a defiant image toward the West suddenly looked frail.

“That day, I wished she were dead, so she could be buried with her parents and brothers and sisters”—14 of whom had been killed in the attack—he said.

In an unusually emotional interview, the departing Afghan president sought to explain why he has been such a harsh critic of the 12-year-old U.S. war effort here. He said he’s deeply troubled by all the casualties he has seen, including those in U.S. military operations. He feels betrayed by what he calls an insufficient U.S. focus on targeting Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan. And he insists that public criticism was the only way to guarantee an American response to his concerns.

To Karzai, the war was not waged with his country’s interests in mind.

“Afghans died in a war that’s not ours,’ he said in the interview, his first in two years with a U.S. newspaper.

In Karzai’s mind, al-Qaeda is “more a myth than a reality” and the majority of the United States’ prisoners here were innocent. He’s certain that the war was “for the U.S. security and for the Western interest.”

Such statements elicit scorn and shock from U.S. officials, who point out that Americans have sacrificed mightily for Afghanistan—losing more than 2,000 lives and spending more than $600 billion in the effort to defeat al-Qaeda and the Taliban and rebuild the country.

Some Americans call Karzai a delusional leader, an ally who became an adversary during the 12 years of his presidency.

In the latest blowup, he has refused for months to sign a security agreement that his government had negotiated with the United States that would permit a residual U.S. force to remain here beyond 2014. He has added several new demands in exchange for signing the deal.

But in a phone call with Karzai last week, President Obama said he will accept having the winner of Afghanistan’s April presidential elections sign the pact. Karzai indicated that he views that as a best-case scenario. He won’t have to submit to U.S. demands—such as the continuation of counter­terrorism operations—but the popular security agreement will probably still be finalized.

“It’s good for them to sign it with my successor,” the Afghan leader said.

On the security agreement, as with several other issues, Karzai’s antagonistic approach seems to have succeeded, in the sense that he has forced U.S. officials to move deadlines—and even to reshape policy.

His strong criticism of the civilian casualties caused by American attacks, for example, forced the U.S. military to revise its tactics, producing a dramatic decline in the number of noncombatants killed by American forces (although Taliban-inflicted casualties have increased).

His demands that the United States hand over the Bagram prison were eventually met, allowing Karzai last month to release dozens of high-profile detainees despite U.S. protests. Those experiences reaffirmed his conviction that public criticism of the United States is often his most effective diplomatic tool.

“I had no other weapon to resort to, no other means to resort to, but to speak publicly and get attention that way. In other words, I was forced to yell,” he said.

Karzai reiterated that he will not manipulate the April 5 presidential election. He has told his older brother to withdraw his candidacy to avoid the perception of interference. Qayum Karzai has refused, but he acknowledges what most Afghans believe:

“Without the president’s support, it will be impossible to win,” Qayum said.

Every day, candidates and elders plead for Hamid Karzai’s backing, pouring into his office and calling his aides as the election nears. Although his influence on the U.S. war effort is waning, he has never been more relevant, or at least more talked about, in Afghan political circles.

“People do come to me, a lot of people, every day rather. Groups of people, individuals—they ask me” for support, Karzai said.

Now that he has decided to leave office, he is reckoning with the same question that many Americans are asking: Was the war worth it?

“I am of two hearts here. When I see good, I am in approval. When I see the losses of Afghan people, our children, maimed and killed, I’m in disapproval,” he said, speaking in English. “Maybe I can give you an answer of yes or no two, three or five years from now, when my emotions have subsided. Right now, I’m full of emotions.”

Karzai is at his most emotional—and most hostile—when civilian casualties occur. Even his critics don’t doubt the sincerity of his feelings, although they might disagree with his conclusions.

He said Afghanistan’s “common cause” with the United States dissipated because of such casualties. He has also said that U.S. forces should have done more to target Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan, rather than conduct operations in Afghan villages.

Karzai denied that he’s more vocal about U.S.-inflicted civilian casualties than those caused by the Taliban. But he has done little to dispel that characterization.

During a visit to the White House in 2010, he carried a photo of what he described as a family whose members were “just gazing with fright and fear” during a U.S.-led night operation. He showed it to Obama.

“I said, ‘President, this is what I’m trying to end, the intimidation of Afghan families at night, in the name of fighting the Taliban.’?”

Asked about Obama’s response, Karzai shrugged, indicating it was unsatisfactory. Then he said: “So we are really an angry people.”

One criticism of Karzai is that his anger has interfered with his ability to govern a country whose institutions have grown exponentially since he took office. Thanks primarily to the U.S. effort, Afghanistan now has a large security force and bureaucracy.

As U.S. funding tapers off, Karzai’s successor will have to keep those institutions alive on a much slimmer budget.

“Foreign assistance brought an expensive way of life to Afghanistan,” Karzai said. “This way of life is not sustainable. Afghanistan has to live by its means.”

Specifically, that means a smaller army built based on “efficiency and affordability,” Karzai said.

But without foreign funding, it’s unclear whether Afghanistan could afford an army that could keep the Taliban at bay. Maintaining Afghan forces at their current size will cost about $4 billion per year. In 2013, the Afghan government collected only $1.7 billion in revenue.

After leaving office, Karzai won’t go far: The government has built him a house a few miles from the presidential palace.

But before he steps down, Karzai has a few more messages to convey to his American partners. As he escorted two Washington Post journalists out of his office Saturday evening, he said: “To the American people, give them my best wishes and my gratitude. To the U.S. government, give them my anger, my extreme anger.”

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