Striving to be internally righteous is important
because materialism is a distraction from pursuit of happiness. One should be internally
good because others can tell when you are because any social behavior
ultimately begins with an internal disposition and you will then be an example
for them. God endows creation with capability to achieve perfection and completion.
This is a process called deification, which means creation returning to or
becoming like God. Since we are not created perfect, we necessarily must be
refined/purified before returning to God. Humanity needs restoration. Restoration
assumes same principle that is built into all reality. Perfection is not an
instantaneous change and can be achieved through the grace of God. Grace
re-energizes capabilities of humanity to know God. Union with God is disrupted
by Sin. Sin distorts perception of what is needed in our lives. Suffering, on
the other hand helps us realizing what is really important. It helps refine us
and is crux of Christianity is suffering. It is a common experience that
everyone has (to different degrees of course). Embracing suffering is key to
becoming fully human. It may seem contradictory but suffering and happiness are
intertwined. When we are most broken down is when we are about to grow.
We should not be asking, “What would Jesus do?”
Rather we should ask “how did Jesus suffer, for
what reasons and which aims, how does engaging in that kind of suffering lead
to happiness?” But we also must remember that suffering is only a means and is
not and end in itself. In fact, alleviating suffering in others is the basis
for Christian social ethic.
We’ve all heard the saying “what does not kill us
makes us stronger.” Well, Virtue comes from Latin word for strength. Life and
passion of Jesus told of in the gospels provide a basis for achieving life of
virtue. To live a moral life in the eyes of Jesus, one has to follow the Ten
Commandments and Pray. Prayer shows devotion and trains the mind; it’s like
muscle memory for your mind. Commandments like (1) Have no other gods, (9) you
shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, and (10) you shall not covet neighbor’s
goods are all examples of internal commandments are all examples of internal
righteousness.
The Bible, besides teaching us how to outwardly act
righteously, makes many references to the importance of having internal
righteousness.
Here are some examples:
Philippians
4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Proverbs
17:22: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed
spirit dries up the bones.
Romans
12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Mathew
6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The Mayo Clinic’s web site, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009, says, “Positive thinking helps with stress
management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative
self-talk with examples provided.”
It lists the health benefits of positive thinking:
Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times
of stress
I think being good can definitely make us happy people and help us become more Christian people. We are not made to be flawless and our world is not perfect, but there is good, as well as bad influences. By doing good actions, we are bringing ourselves closer to Christianity and through that, closer to God. In a way, I think we need suffering in life, because knowing what suffering is, it makes us also think about the good aspects of life. Without suffering, we would not be able to really distinguish what is good in our lives, because we would not know what is bad.
ReplyDeleteSuffering can lead to good, maybe for us, or for other people. Jesus suffered for us, which helped us greatly. Usually, suffering does not just occur, it has a reason why it happened or why someone would cause themselves suffering. Sometimes suffering can be sacrificing something you love, which can make you temporarily suffer, but it can also bring happiness. Sacrificing something like a bad habit can actually be a good kind of suffering, while giving a material item that is important may be a more upsetting kind of suffering, but it may make someone else happy.
Basically being a good person can involve a little suffering, but it is for good usually. In the end the suffering will make us stronger people. It will make us realize that we should cherish the good that we have in life, and not just forget that it exists. Making our world better will bring us all closer to God and becoming fully human.
I agree that we should try to strive to be the best person that we can be. But I am not sure if I agree with your statement about deification. I agree that we are not created perfect but we do not necessarily need to be refined and purified before we return to God. We just need to be baptized and believe that Jesus is our one true Savior. We do not need to do anything else because God sent his son for us to save us from our sin and pay our ransom. But if we try to be the best we can be in life we will feel better about ourselves and therefore live a happy life and make the world a better place to for everyone to live in. But at some point we need to realize that we are not perfect so we cannot do everything that we set out to accomplish and that can be discouraging and we can get a little lost in the world. Now I am not saying that every time we cannot finish a project or do something correctly we should give up right there on the spot because we are not perfect. God says that we should rejoice in our sufferings in Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” I read this passage everyday and it reminds me that even if times are tough and I do not think that I can get through, God is there for me and He will never give me more than I can handle. In the end, I will rejoice in my sufferings because I am building my character and strengthening my hope in Him. But I do not think that in order for us to become fully human or to become a “true” believer in Christ that we have to go through sufferings in our life. It will make us more down to earth and help strengthen us in our faith if we have sufferings. We should not go out trying to find sufferings in this world, there is enough suffering to go around for everyone in this world and we should be considered lucky if we make it through this world without a lot of suffering. I do not think that God planned for us to suffer in order for us to become human or a Christian because He sent his son as an ultimate sacrifice for our sins so that we would not have to suffer and so we would end up in paradise with Him.
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