Being full of ourselves
“If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
Finding meaning in a meaningless world. A week ago Old Fuzzy and I had a moment. No, not a senior moment, we have those throughout the days and weeks. No, we were having a normal morning if such can be said about us. He was getting ready to go out to do chores, and I was preparing to send a message on the computer.
I had turned from the computer, to finish our conversation. I still had my message to be sent on the computer and I was about ready to send it. When we finished our communication Old Fuzzy left the office and went to the kitchen and I turned back to the computer.
I was a bit confused because my screen was not just blank, but black and lifeless. Just a few seconds before it had a message that was three-fourths of the way to being sent. Well, I thought that is strange…
And it was strange. Part of the electricity in the house was working and part wasn’t. At least there was that, but that isn’t good, really. Of course, the source got tracked down and eventually fixed. But in the bit of time when we were without power my mind indulged in ‘what if’ thoughts.
The Bible speaks of the coming troublesome times.
“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places. But all these things are the beginning of travail.”(Matthew 24:5-8)
Indeed, there have been all of these things since Jesus ascended to heaven. Beginning in A.D. 70 with the tribulation and siege of Jerusalem, many wars and rumors of wars, earth quakes, famines, and nations against nations—these have all happened and still happen.
Yet, here we are in the year of our Lord, 2023. Last year the news suggested at the beginning of summer in 2022 that we could possibly be facing rolling blackouts if the weather careened out of control and air conditioners would overload the electric grid.
Rolling blackouts? In our great nation, and in the Midwest of all places? Impossible thoughts. We never experienced them in 2022 or yet in this year. I’m not sure why. Was it because the weather didn’t careen out of control, or perhaps people adjusted their air conditioners a bit, or who knows? It didn’t happen thankfully.
For years we’ve heard of ‘conspiracy theories’, and many people joke about them. Now most of the theories have come out as bona fide, and when new ones come out we often wonder how soon those will become fact as well. Oddly enough, instead of calling them ‘conspiracy theory nuts’, they are now calling them “Truthers.” I don’t know, just reporting.
Electric magnetic pulse or they call them EMP for short. Our electric problem the other morning was the trigger or the what-if moment. The moment when you realize how fragile and precious life is.
We have also heard stories about preppers, and how we ought to be prepared should the unthinkable happen and our electric grid does go down. I think some people would like to have that come about. I see two types at least who would look with favor on such a happening.
One is the people who sit at the top. In our circle we call them the elites. These are folks who in their own estimation are smarter than the rest of us ordinary joes. They are somewhat ‘full of themselves’, and apparently they believe there would be an opportunity for them to wield more power over the poor joes of the world.
The second type of people are the ordinary joes who are already tired of the elites who view themselves as better than the rest of the world. The ordinary joes who want to live their lives without interference from meddling elites. And they view life as too complex and too demanding. They would like to have some time to live the life they have been blessed with.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
Far from the meddling crowd. That’s where most simple people want to be. Far from the elites that fly around in their expensive private planes telling others to have nothing and be happy.
What does it take to be happy? That’s an interesting question, but the answer is really quite simple… contentment.
“If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain:” (1 Timothy 6:3-6)
In my estimation, a simple life is harder—Physically with more sweat of the brow, but it is also more enjoyable. In listening to a snippet of a Ben Shapiro broadcast he had a very brief interview with Patrick Bet David.
The latter man was talking about an interview he did with a very rich man. The rich man told PBD that in our society he was afraid to get married. It was too risky.
“Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account; which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:27-29)
There are many of both sexes who are untrustworthy, male and female. Men that abandon their families can be found just as women who are entitled and or gold-diggers. People opine about the days when couples married with the idea of ‘until death do us part.’
Yet Patrick Bet David’s answer to the person he was interviewing was spot on. He replied to the man: “Men want to live forever, and the only way to get a glimpse of that is by what you build. You build things, you have kids, you raise them properly, and they continue your last name through them. You write books, make music, make movies—you build things. You make something that outlives you.”
Finding meaning in a meaningless world is impossible if you remove God from the equation. Too many humans are missing the news that we will live forever.
Some have rejected the idea of eternal life altogether or adopted the false narrative that no matter who dies and no matter how they lived, no matter if they believed in God—no matter what, we are all going to end up in heaven when we die. Except for the really bad people…
Because of the Devil whispering the lie, “We’re all going to the same place, just taking different paths.” That lie opens the door for all the other lies that lead people to destruction. The Truth that Jesus said (more than once):
“If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
“Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
“For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:24-26)
