OPINION: We aren't exempt from reaching breaking point

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Basically everything that was made comes to a point where it can no longer do what it was designed to do. Within the automotive industry, the mass majority of the moving parts are placed through rigorous tests to see just how long they will hold up under operation. Doors are placed on hinges to be opened and closed over and over again to see what would become inoperable first. The hinges have bushings at the pivot point, and over time and use, they will eventually wear down. The engine is run over time in manmade seasonal conditions to see whether or not it will fail after hundreds of hours running at various revolutions per minute.

Every test that is performed on the vehicle helps the manufacturer to determine a number of things:

- What will be the annual projected production number;

- What parts to have readily available;

- What will the selling price be;

- What would the lifespan be for a particular model; and

- Who should the vehicle be marketed to.

These are just a few of the many reasons why parts are tested on a vehicle that will soon be placed on the market.

The breaking point of a part or any device affects so many things. If a device breaks often, it will soon be viewed as unreliable and begin to lose market share. If the device is the primary source of income for the company, the business can very well go bankrupt. This is why reputable companies try to use the most reliable raw materials and most reliable suppliers. Guessing where the breaking point is or taking chances on anything can become very costly in the long run.

When we relate this to children, it is easy to understand why a child would go to school with a premeditated plan to retaliate. A child can only take but so much bullying and teasing before he or she reaches a breaking point. It is our responsibility to detect the signs of a child who has reached his or her breaking point. Our children are entering perhaps the most difficult school year that we can ever think of in our generation. We will really have to pay attention to every little detail in their lives to prevent a breakdown.

The breaking point is the point at which a person, object, structure, etc., collapses under stress. The human race is not exempt from breaking down. We break down faster once we reach a certain age. Men and women begin to lose muscle, which is turned into fat at a certain percentage per year. If we don't exercise and take supplements, we lose bone density, which can cause our bones to become brittle. We break down mentally when we overburden ourselves with things and people that we cannot change. The object in life is to prevent reaching the breaking point in any area of our lives. We should live comfortably, eat well, worry less and revere the Almighty God.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we find these words, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1). The wise writer of Ecclesiastes understands that no matter how hard we try we will eventually reach the point of old age if we keep living. This is the reason why we should make the best of every day. We should try to put the Lord first in all things to hopefully get the best outcome.

Don't wait until you get all broken down to love the people around you, but love them now. Please also make sure that God gets your best years.

In God We Trust.

Sam Livingston is pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Manning.