Love is the meaning of life. The primary of aim of all humans is to be loved and to love. Why then do so many people let the other stuff, the distractions, interfere and often dominate their lives?
Most people would believe this to be an instrinsic part of life - you are born with it. You are born to love and be loved. That people living a balanced life, where they are loved and loved others within their family and friendship circle, truly appreciate this message. Once this message is appreciated and lived then it is the normal thing to do when relating with others and the world.
However, somewhere along the way, many get distracted for so many reasons and then lose that true focus. This transfer of priorities may even occur in early to mid-childhood, where parents or other significant adults or people within the young person's life, live an alternate distructive lifestyle, which is seen by the young person as the norm, and hence worthy of following (even if subconsciously). This then becomes the accepted lifestyle as they grow up.
The human frailities of greed, selfishness, envy, failure to forgive and be forgiven, lust, gluttony, etc, come to the for and seductively entice people to follow this distractive and destructive pathway.
People may then follow this pathway until challenged to do otherwise. Challenged to see the destructiveness of these chosen ways, challenged to confront the situation they find to be wrong, challenged to become a better more loving person. This challenge often comes at a time of complete lowness / lonliness within their lives.
To love and to be loved is the meaning of life. It is the primary and quite raw need within all people. It is not only a basic emotional and social need of each person but it is also the main spiritual desire and need.
The 'Love is the Meaning of Life - Why Let all the Other Stuff Get in the Way?!' blog post was written by Bryan Foster, author of Church Marketing Manual for the Digital Age (2nd ed), 2010, with copyright being retained by SMAPL.
Showing posts with label meaning of life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meaning of life. Show all posts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Give a little forgiveness and love
How difficult is it for most people to forgive! To forgive both others and just as importantly - to forgive self!
I believe that as soon as we develop these most important values and gifts we start to truly experience the meaning of life ie LOVE!
A broken relationship tears away at us. It makes us so feel less of a complete human person. It makes us feel that love is less, or in fact missing, in our lives.
To make that first move in the reconciliation process starts both us and the other/s off once again on the road to a completed loving relationship. When we offer forgiveness to someone or group who has hurt us, we are giving others the chance to also heal themselves of the hurt and lack of love they are feeling. If they respond positively that road to recovery is close at hand.
It is a challenge to continually put out that hand of forgiveness, particulary to those who have hurt us considereably, or continually over a period of time. However, to achieve that love, we must time and again offer forgiveness.
The hand of forgiveness will in most cases be offered in return, but not always instantaneously, but eventually. This is the true challenge - to be prepared to work on the reply and be prepared to wait!
The other major challenge is to forgive ourselves for the hurt we have caused others, as well as ourselves. We need to learn to let go! It is so much easier to let go if we know that others have forgiven us.
Sometimes there are those times when it is all within ourselves. It is in these times that we need to act in a similar way to when we forgive others and they forgive us ie we forgive ourselves.
When we are able to forgive others and ourselves, we are truly on the way to appreciating in the truest sense an aspect of the meaning of life - love!
Written by Bryan Foster at www.bryan-foster.com
I believe that as soon as we develop these most important values and gifts we start to truly experience the meaning of life ie LOVE!
A broken relationship tears away at us. It makes us so feel less of a complete human person. It makes us feel that love is less, or in fact missing, in our lives.
To make that first move in the reconciliation process starts both us and the other/s off once again on the road to a completed loving relationship. When we offer forgiveness to someone or group who has hurt us, we are giving others the chance to also heal themselves of the hurt and lack of love they are feeling. If they respond positively that road to recovery is close at hand.
It is a challenge to continually put out that hand of forgiveness, particulary to those who have hurt us considereably, or continually over a period of time. However, to achieve that love, we must time and again offer forgiveness.
The hand of forgiveness will in most cases be offered in return, but not always instantaneously, but eventually. This is the true challenge - to be prepared to work on the reply and be prepared to wait!
The other major challenge is to forgive ourselves for the hurt we have caused others, as well as ourselves. We need to learn to let go! It is so much easier to let go if we know that others have forgiven us.
Sometimes there are those times when it is all within ourselves. It is in these times that we need to act in a similar way to when we forgive others and they forgive us ie we forgive ourselves.
When we are able to forgive others and ourselves, we are truly on the way to appreciating in the truest sense an aspect of the meaning of life - love!
Written by Bryan Foster at www.bryan-foster.com
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