How do you make decisions? What do you measure your 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 alcoholism get their lives back.
They have been described as: a way to keep in tune with God’s will for your life; moral standards; ideals to live by; yardsticks to measure our actions against; a guide for anyone trying to live the good life; and a tool for anyone trying to live intentionally.
The Four Absolutes are:
1. Honesty. Is it true or is it false?
2. Unselfishness. How will this affect other people?
3. Purity. Is it right or is it wrong?
4. Love. Is it ugly or is it beautiful?
These are powerful guides. They provide startling clarity in a confusing world. They help us to examine our options before making a decision by helping us examine our motives. This awareness is essential to spiritual growth and any form of personal development.
Consider the wisdom of the opposite. Take the first absolute for example. Lies separate us from our best self, from others, and from God. It only takes a tiny lie to put a whole universe between you and another person, or 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 am not proposing these need to be everyone’s guide, but if not these, what yardstick do you use to measure your actions and make decisions?
Matthew Kelly
From Life is Messy
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