Finding Meaning

Blessed are they which do hunger 

and thirst after righteousness;

 for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6

     Today, especially today, people are looking for ways to have enjoyment, not just enjoyment but mere enjoyment. Do you know the difference? It is to have enjoyment for any and all reasons, and often it means to not care about the consequences, or, even to care why such and such brings enjoyment. Everyone wants to be blessed! Is this Authentic Christian belief? No! How can it be for Authentic Christianity and about heaven is simply communion with God and with the One Whom He sent: Jesus Christ. Authentic Christian Faith is where a person seeks after righteousness. This means then that personal beliefs must be converted from self-centered to have our center be God and His Son Jesus Christ. The opening Scripture speaks about hunger and thirst and this is not speaking about physical needs, rather about spiritual hunger and thirst. We seek after righteousness not for our own sake, rather for the sake of God. Who holds the priority in your life? Yes, this world is full of trials and temptations and is an imperfect world in many ways (I say many ways for God set forth all that is occurring: i.e., shell fish, trees, vegetables, animals, etc., all acting according to the nature God implanted in them), unfortunately man has and is doing much to harm that which God set in motion. This brings upon a person dissatisfaction. Are you dissatisfied? Is your dissatisfaction a holy dissatisfaction or just because you are inconvenienced in some way? Authentic Christians have a holy dissatisfaction of this present world, does this drive you to a holy dissatisfaction because this world is not in harmony with what God intended? God looks down, that is if He had eyes like us, but He does have eyes, eyes of God who knows all things, past, present, and future and He does see that the world is operating in such a way to bless: i.e., carrots are growing and we can eat those carrots and receive nutrition, or nuts, that give certain amino acids, that we need for our life, fish to clean the bottom of the sea, or lakes, rivers, bacteria that give us protection (yes there are a few that will not give us health, but they are very few in number), clouds that bring rain, water, water that all living things need to be alive. As bad as this world is, and it is bad, not due to nature being bad, rather that man has placed his opinions, his reason, and will above that which causes life to have problems. Man then becomes the center of their life. Authentic Christians are those who do not put themselves as the center of their life as they seek after righteousness and that can only be found in God. 

     I heard this formula: D=S+M: Despair=Suffering+Meaning. What does this mean? Your Despair is only as great as the Suffering you are experiencing and your Suffering is only as great as your Meaning. We determine how much we suffer. We have Despair only as great as Suffering is allowed to determine our Despair and Suffering is only as great as to the Meaning that we apply to Suffering. When people take their Meaning to be something other than God then they attempt to find Meaning in things of this world. Here then is a problem: This world is cold, unloving, hard, and we life in a life of conflict. Therefore to find our Meaning from and in this world we will not find true Meaning and our Suffering will be great, and our Despair will be great. Think of the many suicides that occur every year. These are people that do not have Meaning in their life and their suffering (no matter what has caused this suffering) Despair drives them to suicide. It is our Perspective that is important if we are to have Meaning that is a real Meaning and if our Perspective is to be of this world then our Meaning will be of this world, and here is where there is much conflict. What or who holds your Perspective? 

     We are separated be a veil, a veil of sin, living in a world that has been tossed upside down and not operating in ways (as good as the world is operating) that are beneficial. Does this mean that we cannot find Meaning? No! If you, or I, seek after, hunger after, thirst after righteousness we will be blessed and have a hope of heaven, a life that eternal. Authentic Christians have hope! This hope is not some wishful thinking, no, it is a hope based upon the sure word of God. Well....that is true if one takes the time to read His word, and then apply what God has given us to be able to have a sure hope, to have Meaning, to lessen Suffering and Despair. This is there for you: well....it is if you are seeking after righteousness. What does it mean to seek after righteousness? It is to seek God, His Son Jesus Christ who is the One God sent to pay this debt of sin and then for all who believe on Jesus Christ, not just the Person Jesus Christ, no, upon the reason Jesus came to this earth to die as an innocent man. Here is real Meaning! It is there for you all you have to do is reach out for this free gift of God, this faith that God is freely giving to all who seek after His righteousness. 

     Christianity is not a function! Authentic Christianity is one of Authentic Christian Faith! Authentic Christians place their faith in God, in His Son and not upon rituals, dress codes, or other such things as gifts, or some internal voice of God that cannot be proved to be of God by Scripture. Authentic Christians do not find their Meaning on dates, times or seasons, upon types of baptism, or songs, or anything unless those things have not Meaning found in Scripture. 

     Here is a formula: Righteousness=Meaning: Meaning <Despair & Suffering.  What is your Perspective towards this life, towards God, towards Jesus Christ and is your Perspective aiding you to find true and righteous Meaning? Oh...the choice is yours!

Remove far from me vanity and lies:

     give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with food convenient [that is needful] for me:

     Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say,

Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor,

     and steal and take the name of my God 

 in vain.

                 Proverbs 30: 8-9

Find your Meaning in God

Richard L. Crumb