Are you willing to do something that goes against the ideas of this world? Something that others might frown upon or something you might be ashamed of in certain circles? I believe you are if you are contemplating suicide. I believe you see the emptiness that the values of this world produce. So I’m proposing you opt for a different choice. Try something different. Choose something that may bring shame, may bring ostracizing from friends and family, but the only option that will produce true fulfillment.
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The Brothers Karamazov”.
We are each searching for relief from suffering, looking around at each other wondering why we are even here on this earth going through all of this in the first place. Let’s start by talking about that. Discontentment brought about worldy values. Worldy values being things like riches, success, power, frame, beauty, popularity, intelligence. These are values that we hear about through radio, commercials, TV shows, billboards, on our streaming devices. We are constantly being blasted with this. It is to the point that many times we likely don’t even really pay it attention consciously. But it’s already there subconsciously. And this is obviously more prevelant and wide spread today than it was 50 years ago. Thanks to technology. Think there is a correlation between any of this and the increasing suicide rate? People cannot attain these worldy values. We become stressed out, overburdened, running ragged over the rat race of achievement in the sight of this world. This set of perfect, “photo cropped” values are completely unattainable.
Wanna know something else we can never attain? The perfection of Christ. It seems many people turn away from the church for a couple of reasons. 1. It’s old fashioned, hoaky, pansy, just a feel good idea. 2. It’s full of hypocrites. No one can live up to the expectation of Christ so why try?
But guess what we each individually get to choose which set of hard, unachievable values we want to try to live up to. The worldy values that don’t come with a handbook NOR a support system NOR a holy spirit to guide you? Or the values of Christ which do come with a handbook AND a support system AND the Holy Spirit to guide you? It’s a choice, a daily choice. Sometimes an hourly choice. But it is a choice that is ours to make.
What does God value? What do we have to live up to? Humility, letting the desires of our egos go and letting God lead our lives. “He who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 And Love, treating other with kindness and as we want to be treated. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34
By making the choice to choose a different set of values to live for, maybe a set that’s unpopular to this world, you will find the true meaning of life and what it is to truly live as we were created to live.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Mark 8:34-37