Making Sense of Life: (Audio)
It seems we all struggle, at times, with questions such as, “Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Where am I going? Is this all there is?”
We struggle because we seldom see a purpose in our lives. Our daily existence is filled with pain, sorrow, despair or pointless existence. I know there are times these questions are in my own mind, wanting to be spoken aloud and wait for a good answer. Sometimes it happens at the most inopportune time!
Why? What? Where? This is it??!?
If you are wise, you will look around and see the difference you make in others lives and realize your purpose is not self-serving, you know, only to get something from somebody else. Rather, your purpose is to give out to others. Do you need a foundation for this? Look no further than this next quoted scripture.
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38 NKJV)
Yep. If you are reading this then you notice the words are in Red which represents the Words of Jesus in many bibles around the world. Don’t we want the blessing that comes from Jesus? His teachings? His love? As he gives to us, then we should give to others.
Jesus sends his disciples out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In other words, their own countrymen. Their job? “Preach. Heal. Cleanse. Raise the dead. Cast out devils.” This is their purpose! But how can you do your job if you have no concept of what you have received? Jesus says, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:5-8)
Freely has life been given to you, so give outward freely.
In the verse just prior to Jesus’s command to give, he adds depth to our connection to others.
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. (Luke 6:35 NKJV)
We find the “enemies” part of the scripture to be worrisome…and then we find the lending part to be even worse because we are not to expect anything in return! But, we love the “reward”!
It’s sad when the enemy is our own family and fellow countrymen. It’s sad when borders and political ideologue is in constant dispute. It’s sad when we find it hard to say anything good about anybody else.
Take this a step deeper and you find Jesus teaching the Beatitudes, you know, the attitudes we are supposed to be? He says,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also…” (Matthew 5:38-39 NKJV)
This is our attitude! Regardless of the slaps of life that come our way, turn the other cheek! Now. That’s a tough one! We want to be like, “Put ’em up! Put ’em up!” as says the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz! We want to strike back! But we are told our attitude needs to be one of No Resistance!
Find some depth in this. If we are always struggling with the life we are living, then we have the wrong view of our purpose. Our purpose is not to take care of our own self alone. Nor to be a loner. There is a bigger world out there. And if you want people to care about you, then you need to care about them! Forget their negatives! Train yourself to use your voice for good, and not evil!
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:8-10 NKJV)
It was Johnny Mercer, a lyricist, and co-founder of Capitol Records who co-wrote this song that Bing Crosby sang so beautifully with the Andrews Sisters. (Did you know Bing Crosby was born just a few miles north of me? 1112 N. J St., Tacoma, WA)
(Click to Listen on Youtube)
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me?
About the elininatin’ of the negative
And the accent on the positive
And gather ’round me children if you’re willin’
And sit tight while I start reviewin’
The attitude of doin’ right
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
Bring gloom, down to the minimum
Otherwise pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they say
Say when everything looked so dark
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
No, don’t mess with Mister In-Between
Quit living selfishly and start selflessly helping and caring for others. The payback is out of this world!