"God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:31 NIV). I have a tattered old booklet titled Is Life Worth Living? by J. Walter Rich. Probably every person who has been born, especially if they make it to old age, has asked that question. Certainly Job had a problem with the quality of his life when it went downhill rapidly. And Joseph must have wondered the same thing as he sat in prison for something he didn't do. I think we all need to focus on a purpose in life. It saddens me deeply to see the way some of our young people are being wasted. They are told they have evolved from slime, so why should they feel good about themselves? Why should they feel they are responsible for their own actions, if those actions are predetermined by a genetic makeup over which they have no control? I've always believed in a rather simplistic description of good and evil: good is constructive and evil is destructive. Life is good and it is constructive for those who are good. "A man who has lived well is the one who has made good among his fellows. He has not been a dead weight upon his community. He has added to the uplift of his surroundings, passing on to it his spirit and inspiration. He has given as much or more than he has received; otherwise, he has been a liability rather than an asset." J. Walter Rich. But to do and to be good, we must believe in Something higher than ourselves and Someone who wants the best for us. If we know, absolutely without any doubt, that our Father truly loves us and wants the best for us, then we can live that good life. For our precious young people I'd like to share these verses: John 10:10: I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full. Psalm 103:4: He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. Deut. 30:19: I have set before you life and ... blessings ... Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ... Eze. 18:32: I take no pleasure in the death of anyone... John 12:47: I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. Deut. 30:15: See, I set before you today life and prosperity... Psalm 87:6: The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: This one was born in Zion. Esther 4:14: And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? |
