Maturing persons learn how to take control of their lives – and the sooner the better, if done rightly. This process ought to be a conscious practice early in one’s education that begins with parental discipline – when the person is idealistic (not yet jaded by the marginal conducts found in society); when one looks to the future (so imagines what life can and ought to be, and believing rightly that ol’ folks are rather ‘sot’ in their ways); when one is more likely to adjust to change, even welcome it, having a sense that there may well be something different and better from what is known and followed at the moment); and, with energy to make adaptations and take opportunities for self-development (which is made difficult in managing risks, always threatening the adventures of life). It is known, through careful studies that the older one gets the likelihood of venture will fade, because of the decline in the individual for taking risks, for the perception of time, and the realization that when errors are made, there may be too little time remaining to make up for losses. This applies to nearly everything involving the individual, so that person ought to take care in monitoring health, in preparing for retirement, in solidifying family ties, in working well in making contribution to life for the day comes when man’s work is done. (This ending may occur before death.) The happy people are those who learn how to adapt and manage the realities that are both constructive and destructive in life formation and conclusion. In nature, touched by sometimes unseen forces of both good and evil, the individual can plan so to take life in firm stride. Life was and is meant to be victorious.
Christians have distinct advantage in this balancing of life. That is we have advantage if learning the processes of commitment to God for guidance, values and care. All this is lengthened by prayer and faith. The person is better off if identifying with human need so to serve others to their aid and relief. One never feels more blest than when serving the needs of others. Farmers who farm in the spirit of feeding others will be happier in their labor than those who produce with profit uppermost in their minds. Teachers seeing the future of students in better thinking, and more meaningful objectives than would otherwise be the case, do better than the ones who teach for a paycheck, and an easier summer. This does not diminish the profit or the paycheck, but puts them where they belong in the list of priorities. It works the same for institutions, commonly perceived as individuals. They can be sued like individuals.
The happy persons I have met, in countries of the world, are those who are concerned about the quality of their lives, of primary human relationships to their families, of high interest in their communities, and concern for the world. They address each of these, to their own abilities, so to pray, give, and work as given strength and insight from God, and respected elders (leaders). Elders in human terms relate to the aging process. Elders in God’s terms relate to a wisdom context. Our goal is to find wisdom for life, family, community, work, and devotion. Devotion in its large meaning relates to obedience to Christ, as revealed in Scripture; spiritual life through the Holy Spirit, as revealed in Scripture; prayer for the present and the future so to accent the will of God, as revealed in Scripture; and, the model of Christ as that model serves in the context of the individual, as revealed in Scripture. Jesus prayed. Of all persons who ever lived he needed human prayer the least. What does that tell me?
There is sufficient creativity in this context to offer each person a special life to mankind and God, to a sense that one was important enough in the larger plan of God to have lived and deserved respect. So a Christian may depart in peace, perhaps with joy, enabled to bear departure from this context to God’s. I would be less than honest if I did not admit that it seems to me that so many Christians have not gained the selflessness that Christ asks of his children. The highest motivation for selflessness is love. That love, even humanly speaking, causes a parent to give up self for a child; causes one to be hungry rather than eat with other persons I can serve left hungry; causes concern in unshared wealth in the presence of poverty – and so the story can be extended. It touches also less measureable contexts. Christ, in word and deed, modeled our purpose, even in some small matters, so to offer love, peace, joy and hope for others. This is the reason Christ pressed, in his last words, for the dissemination of the Gospel. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020