Make good use of the time you have. The time you have to stay on earth is short. So instead of wasting it by numbing yourself to the world’s problems (such as by trying to escape through a vice of some kind), do what you can to make the world a better place because you lived. Contribute all you can to leave a positive and significant legacy behind.

Don’t sugarcoat evil. Whenever you encounter evil, call it what it is. Hold yourself and others accountable when you and they do wrong, rather than blaming circumstances for what really are failed moral choices. Grieve the existence of evil in the world and let it make you more acutely aware of your need for a Savior. Rather than pretending that evil will go away if you don’t pay attention to it, do all you can to fight evil through God’s power working in you.

Sense God’s goodness through His creation. Spend time out in nature regularly so you can experience God’s goodness through the senses He has given you: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting. Let nature draw you out of intellectualism and into experience, so you can move beyond just ideas about God to actually sensing His presence. Look for God’s reflection in what He has created, and consider which of God’s qualities you better understand once you experience nature.

Notice and be thankful for the gifts God has given you. Stop to consider the huge array of gifts God has bestowed on you – from the most basic gift of each breath you take, to your unique talents. Be alert to the many gifts you see in the world. Let your gratitude for all that’s lovely and admirable regularly remind you that God cares about you individually and the world as a whole. Receive God’s gifts without feeling guilty; invite Him to lavish His unconditional love on you.

Take a trip. Get away now and then, because a change in your surroundings will give you a changed perspective on your life. It will enlarge your view of your circumstances and prevent you from being stuck in them, unable to see the bigger picture of God at work.

Make time regularly for silence and solitude. When you go to a quiet place by yourself, you can most easily concentrate on listening for God’s voice speaking to your spirit. Make a habit of doing so as often as you can. During your times of silence and solitude, seek something greater than just answers to your questions – seek God Himself.

Look forward to a better future. Remember God’s promises that there will come a time when sin no longer infects the world. Be assured that there is a better life to come.