Every day, we make hundreds of decisions, but do you have a process or do you just make your decisions based on a whim? How do you make decisions? What do you measure your decisions and actions against? The four absolutes are another way to consider what to do next. In the early 1900s, the four absolutes were developed to help people dealing with addiction, especially alcoholism, to help them get their lives back. They have been described as a way to keep in tune with God's will for your life. They have been described as moral standards, ideals to live by, yard sticks to measure our actions against and a guide for anyone trying to live the good life, a tool for anyone trying to live intentionally.
The four absolutes are, number one, honesty. Is it true or is it false? Number two, unselfishness. How will this affect other people? Number three, purity. Is it right or is it wrong? And number four, love. Is it ugly or is it beautiful? These are powerful guides. They provide startling clarity in a confusing world. They help us examine our options before making a decision by helping us examine our motives. This awareness is essential to spiritual growth and to any form of personal development.
Consider for a moment the wisdom of the opposite. Take the first absolutes, for example. Lies separate us from our best self, from others, and from God. It only takes one tiny lie to put the whole universe between you and God. The opposite of each of the four absolutes cause unspeakable pain and destruction every day.
How would your life be different if you adopted absolute honesty, absolute unselfishness, absolute purity, and absolute love? I'm not proposing these need to be everyone's guide, or the only guide, but if not these, what yard stick do you use to measure your actions and to make decisions?
