In 1849 a certain yellow metal was discovered in the obscure hills and ravines surrounding the San Francisco Bay. The '49ers were fortune hunters who risked life, limb, and even the survival of their families to traverse 2500 miles of vicious, un-tamed wilderness in wagons, canoes, ships, and on foot. They were willing to do this because of the many possibilities that could arise from striking it rich. Their enterprise was all about the value they were placing upon gold, and they reasoned that gambling their safety and fortunes was worth the risk. Many lost their lives before getting there, and many more were injured or killed because of the greed and debauchery that accompanied those towns that sprang up from gold fever. Whatever "values" those people had, they put gold at the top of the list. All other "values" were defined by how much they valued finding that precious yellow metal.
So much has been said about "values" in the last twenty years. An entire presidential campaign operated using "family values" like a by-word, trying to grasp what they really valued-political power. Man talks his talk, but his walk will always give him away. What we truly value will always be revealed in the end, maybe even to ourselves. We pursue the things we truly value. The more intense the pursuit, the stronger the value. The things we are willing to intensely pursue also reveal how we value ourselves. A person hotly pursuing money and power may value their life worthless if they cannot reach their goals. Similarly, some pursue fame through stardom or dangerous exploits, and some just live for the thrill of danger. The fame and thrill of it all is placed, like a golden idol, above everything else in their lives. The value of everything else, especially of human relationships, is defined by that which rates as gold.
Recently, I watched a docu-drama about a man who could not find the value in his life. He reached for fame and fortune in Hollywood. It eluded him. He reached for the thrill of dangerous exploits. It did not satisfy him. So he went to the wilds of Alaska and began literally living with grizzly bears. In his mind, he was "protecting" the bears from the humans, and began valueing himself based on the self-delusion that he was doing something noble. He was warned by park officials, family, and close friends that he was putting his life at great risk for virtually no return on his investment. Others saw the value of his life more than he did. But he continued living among and filming the bears for thirteen summers. He not only lost his life, but had convinced his girlfriend to come with him. During his last video shoot, a bear knocked the camera over, and all that was recorded was the sounds of both of them being eaten alive by a bear.
That is just fine, if you believe life is random, that we create and define what is beautiful, and that it is beautiful to be eaten by a bear. But how many of us value the wrong things, then realize it too late, and find ourselves getting eaten by them? If the true value of life were defined by us, how much it would change, daily, even hourly. It is as absurd as a man thinking he is the Don Quixote of Alaskan Grizzly Bear. But if value of life is defined by the Author of life, there is order, there is reason, there is purpose, and the standard of what is beautiful and good does not change, as the Author does not change. He loves and values human life so much because we are the crown of His creation. And He has a Divine idea for every life.
The popular saying among America's youth today brings this home: YOLO-You only live once. The popular interpretation is to do anything you want to do, live any way you want to live, be the Master of your own Destiny. The problem with that is you had nothing to do with the fact that you exist, how could you think you could successfuly create your own destiny? Because you're placing value in the wrong things, you may delude yourself into thinking you have a good life. But, honestly, how would you know, how could you know without a standard? We certainly do not value gold, or other precious stones or metals on fickle human emotion. How absurd to do so with your very life. Don't gamble your life and your eternity for fool's gold. The correct interpretation is, you only have one life, and it is extremely valueable, first to its Maker, and then to others He has made. Wisdom is to find out what truly is valueable, what God values, and do all you can to acquire that. Understand this, and you will have struck the motherlode!!
...collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6.20&21
So much has been said about "values" in the last twenty years. An entire presidential campaign operated using "family values" like a by-word, trying to grasp what they really valued-political power. Man talks his talk, but his walk will always give him away. What we truly value will always be revealed in the end, maybe even to ourselves. We pursue the things we truly value. The more intense the pursuit, the stronger the value. The things we are willing to intensely pursue also reveal how we value ourselves. A person hotly pursuing money and power may value their life worthless if they cannot reach their goals. Similarly, some pursue fame through stardom or dangerous exploits, and some just live for the thrill of danger. The fame and thrill of it all is placed, like a golden idol, above everything else in their lives. The value of everything else, especially of human relationships, is defined by that which rates as gold.
Recently, I watched a docu-drama about a man who could not find the value in his life. He reached for fame and fortune in Hollywood. It eluded him. He reached for the thrill of dangerous exploits. It did not satisfy him. So he went to the wilds of Alaska and began literally living with grizzly bears. In his mind, he was "protecting" the bears from the humans, and began valueing himself based on the self-delusion that he was doing something noble. He was warned by park officials, family, and close friends that he was putting his life at great risk for virtually no return on his investment. Others saw the value of his life more than he did. But he continued living among and filming the bears for thirteen summers. He not only lost his life, but had convinced his girlfriend to come with him. During his last video shoot, a bear knocked the camera over, and all that was recorded was the sounds of both of them being eaten alive by a bear.
That is just fine, if you believe life is random, that we create and define what is beautiful, and that it is beautiful to be eaten by a bear. But how many of us value the wrong things, then realize it too late, and find ourselves getting eaten by them? If the true value of life were defined by us, how much it would change, daily, even hourly. It is as absurd as a man thinking he is the Don Quixote of Alaskan Grizzly Bear. But if value of life is defined by the Author of life, there is order, there is reason, there is purpose, and the standard of what is beautiful and good does not change, as the Author does not change. He loves and values human life so much because we are the crown of His creation. And He has a Divine idea for every life.
The popular saying among America's youth today brings this home: YOLO-You only live once. The popular interpretation is to do anything you want to do, live any way you want to live, be the Master of your own Destiny. The problem with that is you had nothing to do with the fact that you exist, how could you think you could successfuly create your own destiny? Because you're placing value in the wrong things, you may delude yourself into thinking you have a good life. But, honestly, how would you know, how could you know without a standard? We certainly do not value gold, or other precious stones or metals on fickle human emotion. How absurd to do so with your very life. Don't gamble your life and your eternity for fool's gold. The correct interpretation is, you only have one life, and it is extremely valueable, first to its Maker, and then to others He has made. Wisdom is to find out what truly is valueable, what God values, and do all you can to acquire that. Understand this, and you will have struck the motherlode!!
...collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6.20&21
1 comment:
That, my friend, will preach!
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