So often in life, the worst punishment that anyone can be given, is when they get what they want. This, because - very often, what we want derives from sinful and unrepented desires.
If we actually get it, then we will also get the inevitable consequences - inner spiritual and outer natural - of embracing sin.
This applies equally, and for the same basic reason, to the child who wants to live on sweets; the adolescent who wants vast quantities and variety of sex; the adult who wants high status, massive wealth, and real power.
The global totalitarian leadership class seem most to want Giga-death for the masses, and survival for themselves (themselves, not their family descendants - of which they often have none) - indeed, some kind of this-worldly everlastingly-extended life.
Such appears to be a major motive behind Their relentless activity; such is apparently what is planned - with some degree of secrecy.
Since those who read this are likely to be among the planned-to-be-destroyed masses (as are most of those who regard themselves as exempted!) - it is tempting to feel jealous of those whose survival is organized.
Maybe we even want to join Them in surviving through to Their Brave New World - but hoping to set-up a society more to our taste - in some unnoticed corner exempted from Their rule, and where They will leave us unmolested?
A time will come to every Man when it is time to die - and when that time arrives, he will know it.
The way things are shaping; such a time will, probably soon, come to a very large number of people over a short timescale.
When that time comes, we ought not fight for survival; but fight to do what is right - which we will also know, at the time.
Survival then becomes a temptation; and there will be many specious arguments as to why 'my' survival (for at least a bit longer) will seem like a good and necessary thing - despite that we know the proper time has come to put our survival as a lower priority than what is needed.
Therefore it is a bad habit to develop a primary concern with survival.
We all die, sooner or later, and for a follower of Christ that is a good thing, when it happens at the right time - despite the ineradicably tragic impact of mortal death.
Most of us (me included) would do well to think more about the inevitability and ultimate rewards of death; and that therefore discerning and embracing our own time to die is a great gift, as well as a profound challenge.
4 comments:
Hi Bruce I remember reading a book by an Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl who said your main focus was day to day survival which turned prisoners into monsters who would do anything betray anybody just to survive, he said some of the worst people were the other prisoners whereas some of the best people were the guards who would risk being shot themselves in an attempt to help the prisoners in some small way.
Discernment is the key.
If there's something after all of this, there's no guarantee that we are going to see it. And there may be many stages to get there. We just have to use the time we have well.
Love this! So many profound truths in this post.
We buried our Uncle (my grandfather's brother) this weekend, who would've turned 100 next year. He became a Christian over 60 years ago, and I hope to face death as gracefully as he did when that time comes, regardless of the circumstances. The family asked me to be one of the pallbearers--which I was honored to do. His funeral was indeed a celebration and that was the tone of the entire service.
"Survival" is contextual in the modern manmade construct.....and your point of 'doing what is right' as the focus is what men should not only aspire to but be willing to 'die' for. Ahead of one's biological mortality in today's world is the willingness to 'die' economically to do the right thing....our standards of economic survival have enslaved us to these very people thus cursed us with a foggy vision of what is 'right' as something quite fungible based upon economic needs. John Boyd recognized this, realizing a man is only truly free if his material needs are so small he is not beholden to a master. Jesus essentially did the same. So many others who have left their mark and, thus, a legacy which surpassed their physical mortality. These men were willing to put not only their mortality but their economic survival on the line......a great example of this was Walt Disney..... with each success he was willing to bet the farm on the next crazy idea so from Steamboat Willy to Snow White to Disneyland Walt was willing to risk survival to do what is right.
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