The Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything.
Funny enough, it’s not 42.
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First things first, think of the greatest gift you’ve ever been given.
I don’t know if anyone ever played with Rescue Heroes, but I still remember unwrapping the Aquatic Rescue Command Center one Christmas morning. Nothing will ever top that. In seven year old Lorne’s mind, this baby was the pinnacle of human achievement.
I was probably seven when I got the gift shown above. At about that same age, my dad started telling me I needed to read a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. For twelve years I resisted him, but a year ago it became too much.
Frankly, that book changed my life. Since then, I’ve read a good number of other books in the “Business Productivity” genre, and loved every page. The question they brought to my mind is why I like them so much.
Those books forced me to realize how much I have been given. I’m a part of the 1% of the world who get a college education. My high school has been in the top 400 schools in the nation since it was created. I have almost limitless opportunities, but frankly that’s a little overwhelming.
These books were my way to figure out how to use what I’ve been given.
If you’re reading this (or you attend the Well House Church), you’re probably in a similar boat. Most people don’t have time to read articles on a site like Medium, and most people certainly can’t afford the 5$ cups of coffee they serve at the Well (Even if I pay for them regularly).
The question then becomes how do we actually use what we have well. The Ancient Greeks actually spent a lot of time arguing about this. They had a term Eudaimonia. It translates literally to happiness, but means something closer to a life that is worth living in and of itself.
Now ask yourself. What do you think the life well lived is? Obviously I’ve got my own ideas about it, but I think it’s good to start with your own.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People left me with a lot of ideas, but one of the most significant was the author’s view on personal development. In every area, he says everyone goes through three stages; dependent, independent, and interdependent.
When it comes to physical development, babies are obviously dependent on their parents. As those same babies grow up, they gain the ability to get around and live by themselves. This means they become independent.
Once they reach adulthood, people generally learn they can do a lot more by working together. That’s called interdependence, in that they don’t need each other but they choose to work together.
Last week we talked about the importance of friendship with other people. I think reaching our potential is impossible without cooperation, and the proper use of what we’ve been given requires working with others.
It’s time for another question. Who is the most selfless person you know?
Personally, I think of my friend Jacob. He’s constantly offering his time to other people and trying to make their lives better. Another example would be my buddy Nick. He’s had trouble finding consistent work for a while now, and yet he still buys my food when we hang out, or tries to give me a rain jacket when he hears I don’t have one.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
This comes from the book of John. The Bible was translated from Greek, and the Greek word behind “The Word” would be Logos. It means something like Wisdom or Truth, and John later equates it to Jesus.
So, “Jesus was with God and Jesus was God”. This is still one of the craziest ideas in all of Christianity to me; God is Father, Spirit, and Son, and yet also just God.
I’m not going to try and explain the peculiarities of the Trinity right now, but the important thing is this. In Genesis, it says “God created the heavens and the earth,” but here is says “All things came into being through [the Word].”
God is relationship in being, and so his actions are all done cooperatively. The Father created the world through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, take a minute and think of the biggest problem in the world right now.
We can probably all come up with something different. When God created the world, He said it was good. In this passage, it says “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
The world clearly doesn’t look that way right now though. God intends more for His creation than we are experiencing right now. If I had to summarize the Bible in one sentence, it would be
“God uses His people to redeem the world.”
Sometimes He works in spite of us rather than through us, but just as God works cooperatively in Himself, He desires for us to cooperate with Him in the project of bringing the creation back to Himself.
I think this calling echoes all the way back to Genesis, where God enlists humanity to be the stewards of His creation. In fact, I think this calling is the purpose of humanity. Living into it answers the question of Eudaimonia.
We’re meant to work with and for God.
The question becomes how. John 1 summarizes Jesus’ relationship to God and His work on earth. However, the verses right after the ones quoted above discuss John the Baptist.
It seems out of place, but I think in some ways it offers a perspective on how we partner with God. John the Baptist (not to be confused with the author of the book of John) is called the greatest person who ever lived. Now listen to how he spent his life.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was the greatest man ever, and yet it seems all he did worth mentioning was testify to who God is. I think that’s the point though; the only thing worth doing is pointing to God.
Human beings are meant to be angled mirrors.
We reflect the love of God from Him onto His creation and other people, and we reflect the praises of the earth and people back to God. That’s the only life worth living.
The problem is all of those terms have lost most of their meaning thanks to overuse. To put it practically, I think the human vocation is summarized in Matthew 25.
35 I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
I don’t think we have to live this way.
In fact, we’re all perfectly capable of surviving without God. However, I think the highest level of human development is choosing to submit one’s life to the purposes of God. That means serving the world He created and then giving all the glory back to Him.
It’s a hard and high calling, but I honestly think it’s the only one worth living into. I read all of those business productivity and self-help books, and each one seemed to have a different answer to the question of a life worth living.
By the end of it, I came back to the Bible. I’ll participate with God in the redemption of the world before I take part in any worldly success plan, and I hope you’ll make the same choice.
At the end of the day, God wanted you to be a part of His project so badly He sent Himself to die on your behalf. That’s an incredible testament to His love for you and for this world.
You’re invited to join in right here and right now. If you’ve never done this thing before, give me a call at (714) 768–1997 and we can talk a little more about what all it means. If you’ve been living this life for a long time, you know it can be hard. Take rest in this blessing from the book of Habakkuk.
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold,
and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
God is good. Look forward to another sermon next week!! Thanks for reading, and have a great one!!
