How to Recover from Life's Disappointments
How to Recover from Life's Disappointments
How to Recover from Life's Disappointments
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Isultimatesatisfaction,meaning,&purposeevenpossible? www.prshockley.org
Answerthesequestions: Doyoulongfortruth? Doyoulongfor“final,”“ultimate”answers? Doyoulongforhappiness? Haveyoufound“certainty?” Does“fixed”happinessseem<strong>to</strong>eludeyou? Haveyourexpectationsfortruthandhappinessbeencrushedbyunforeseencircumstances?
Consider: Haveyoudiscoveredthatwhatyouthoughtwas“true”wasreallya“lie.” Haveyouexperiencedthepainofrealizingthatwhatyouthoughtcouldmakeyouhappygenerateddisappointmentifnotpain? Doyoucontinue<strong>to</strong>findyourselfgoing<strong>from</strong>onehobby<strong>to</strong>another,onejob<strong>to</strong>another,onerelationship<strong>to</strong>another,onereligion<strong>to</strong>another,oronephilosophy<strong>to</strong>another,notfindingwhatwillsatisfytheselongingsfortruthandhappiness? Orhaveyou“givenup”searchingfortruthandhappiness…andsoyoujustlivewiththerealityofincompleteness…experiencingtheselongingsbelievingtheycan’teverbesatisfied?
Canweevenrecover? Isitevenpossible<strong>to</strong>recover<strong>from</strong>… Disappointmentinmarriageandchildren Liesanddeception Personalloss Lackoffulfillmentinourjobs,relationships,religions,philosophies,andsocialandpoliticalcauses Brokendreams Shatteredexpectations Tragedies Lackofmeaningandpurpose Reoccurringdissatisfaction?
Closerlookatthisseemingparadoxofourhumancondition: Weuniversallylongfor: Truth Happiness Weuniversallyfindinphysicalreality: Uncertainty Wretchednessanddeath
Wenaturallylongfortruth&happiness:“Sincenoonecanchangehumannature,noonecanmakeuss<strong>to</strong>pdesiringtruthandhappiness;andnomerehumanbeingcangiveustruthorhappiness.Wemaymediatethesetwothings,butwecannotcreatethem;weareaqueducts,notfountains”(PeterKreeft,ChristianityforModernPagans:Pascal’sPensées,48). SeeC.S.Lewis, TheGreatDivorce,chapter11 forathoughtfuldiscussionwhy wecan’tmakeeachotherreally happyforlong.
Consider: ButIposit<strong>to</strong>youtha<strong>to</strong>neofthereasonswhywecan’tsatisfythoselongings,whyweexperiencegreatdisappointmentsinthislifeandwhywecan’tseem<strong>to</strong>findlastingsatisfactionisbecausewehavedemanded<strong>to</strong>omuch<strong>from</strong>them.Inotherwords,wefalselyassumedorwereled<strong>to</strong>believethatpeople,government,relationships,objects,andvocationswouldsatisfythedeepestlongingsfortruthandhappiness. Anytimeweplaceourfaithin“earthly”sourceswearebound<strong>to</strong>experiencedissatisfaction,lackoffulfillment,loss,andtragedy.
PeterKreeftputsitthisway:“Toplacedivineexperiencesonhumanshouldersisaninfalliblerecipeforruinandbitterdisappointment”(Ibid.,48).Thisisparticularlypoignan<strong>to</strong>fpeoplewhoonlylookatandtrustanaturalisticworldviewwheretheonlythingthatisrealiswhatismaterialistic,experimentallyandphysicallyobservable,andthatwecancreatebetterpeopleandbettersocieties<strong>from</strong>thissourceandthissourcealone.
Kreeftwrites:“Scienceandtechnologyshieldman<strong>from</strong>aclearknowledgeofthesefourfundamentaltruthsofPascal,forscience(orratherscientism)offersustheillusionthatwenowknowthetruthwheninfactweonlyknowsometruths,andtechnologyhasgivenuscomfortsbutnotcontentment.Wehaveconfusedthesetwothings;that’swhythesetwoservantshaveturnedin<strong>to</strong>ourmasters,likeDr.Frankenstein’smonster,moreandmoreinthethreecenturiessincePascal’swordswerewritten”(Ibid.,49).
Kreeftcomments:“Thesearethefourfundamentaltruths,thedata,aboutthehumanconditionalwaysandeverywhere.Nophilosophythatignoresthemisworthafirstglance;nophilosophythathasnoexplanationforthemisworthasecond.Ultimately,nophilosophyexceptChristianityisworthathirdglanceandourbelief,onlyChristianityhasasatisfac<strong>to</strong>ryexplanationforthesefourfacts”(Ibid.,48).
ButinJesusChrist,theGod‐Man,wecanfindultimatetruthandhappiness.Hebrokein<strong>to</strong>timeandhis<strong>to</strong>ryandoffersyoulasting:Meaning/PurposeDestiny/PlanJesusChristHope/FulfillmentRedemption/Deliverance
Look<strong>to</strong>Godfortruth&happiness…theeternalaspectsofreality.Godisthefountainfortruthandhappiness.Appropriatelyappreciatephysicalaspectsoflifebutdonotdemand<strong>from</strong>themmorethanwhattheycanpossiblygive.Theywereneverdesigned<strong>to</strong>giveyouultimate,meaning,purpose,fulfillment,hope,andsatisfaction.
Therefore:Ifyouplaceyourfaithinthatwhichisphysicalandearthly,thenyouareplacingyourhope,purpose,meaning,andpurposeinthatwhichistransi<strong>to</strong>ry,subject<strong>to</strong>change,bankruptcy,andbreakdown.Likevapor<strong>from</strong>acupofcoffee,theywilldissipatebeforeyoureyes.ButIsubmit<strong>to</strong>you,thatifyouplaceyourfaithinJesusChrist,whoisGod,whodiedonthecrossforyoursinsandroseagain,yourrealityofspiritualincompletenesswillbefulfilled.Andifyouwillcontinue<strong>to</strong>look<strong>to</strong>Himasabelieverforyouranswersandnotallowyourself<strong>to</strong>becomedivertedbybusinessordistractedbyearthlypleasures,thenyour“joy”willbefull,nomatterwhattrialordifficultycomesyourways.Therefore,considerJesusChrist.Look<strong>to</strong>Him.ScrutinizeHislife,words,andministry.Inviteyou<strong>to</strong>studytheGospelofJohnwhichisfoundintheNewTestament.
Change language