Peace

1 Comment Posted on January 20, 2024

What’s The Purpose Of Life? Part 2 of 2

In my last article I shared my belief that the first purpose of life is to discover that God loves you, love him back, pass it around, and go home. For many that wasn’t shocking.

Now I’d like to propose the other purpose of life, which is about something you may not have ever considered.

Most people everywhere spend most of their time in the here and now. Juggling family and work. Paying the bills. What’s for supper? All those are important.

Yet we also use our time to prepare for the future. Planting a tree. Getting training or an education to better support ourselves. Sending aside money for retirement.

Let’s take that a step further.

Our experiences in this life prepare us for even more service to God beyond this life.

I’m not going to review all the life experiences you and I have faced, because I don’t need to. You know your own story. Challenges. Struggles. Achievements. Stressors. Disappointments. Setbacks. Victories. Defeats. We go from one to the next. It never seems to stop. But when we show our willingness and determination to keep on keeping on, God will use us for even greater things.

Know that the Lord will be beside you throughout your trek. On your own you might be toast. With his help you’re going to be okay. And where does all this lead?

Jesus taught us… “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” [Luke 16:10-11, NIV]

1. We need to do our best to be faithful with this one short lifetime if we want God to give us a forever life with him in Heaven. 2. I am confident that the better we face the opportunities and challenges of this life will impact what God has planned for us on the other side.

When my dad passed, I posted on Facebook: “Life is school. Death is graduation. Do you have a job lined up?”

Forget all those silly cartoons about believers in Heaven sitting on a cloud in a white robe, wings, halo, harp. Pure fiction. Angelic beings have jobs. Human beings will have jobs. I’m not sure what those jobs will be but I am very very curious.

The first purpose of life is to discover that God loves you, love him back, pass it around, and go home. The other purpose of life is to use this one short life to prepare for the next, which lasts forever.

We do our duty to God, with his help, to the absolute best of our ability. We can show him that we do love him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength from now until the end of time and beyond.

There’s value in all our life experiences, both pleasant and awful. How that exactly prepares us for future service cannot be known. I doubt God would have us live this one life, with all its ups and downs, merely to park us on a cloud.

Some see the next life as an opportunity to bask in the glory of God and give him praise forever. Sure. But I have a feeling it will be much more than that.

I’ve mentioned before that the most mysterious verse in all of Scripture is 1 John 3:2: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” [NIV]

Humm. I wonder.

How you live your life here is an investment in your forever.

——————

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Leave a comment Posted on January 6, 2024

What’s The Purpose Of Life? Part 1 of 2

I can hear it now, the outrage of some who are incensed that some unknown random guy would presume to know everyone’s purpose.

Could I suggest that you postpone your rage?

This is not about finding the perfect mate, or the most satisfying career, or how one chooses to spend their free time. Let’s step back from that and look at the whole of life.

I’d like to suggest that there are two universal ways of understanding the purposes of our lives. Both can be embraced by most, regardless of who they are and where or when they lived. They include both this life, and on into the beyond.

The first is this: The purpose of life is to discover that God loves you, love him back, pass it around, and go home.

1 John 4:7-8 teaches us that the number one defining quality of God is love. He loved us so much he was willing to die, and did in order to prove it. [John 3:16-17]

He is not a cruel bully or a mean judge. He is a loving father who wants the best for us. Some have allowed the ugliness of life to taint their perception of him, poisoning their need to know his true character. Others have swallowed the lies told by those who feel threatened by the concept of a higher power who is vastly smarter than humanity.

We love him back by following his example seen in Agape love: seeking someone else’s highest good. Jesus taught that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength. [Mark 12:29-30] We show our love for him by following his time-tested guidance for life.

We pass it around by loving [serving] others as much as we love [serve] ourselves [Mark 12:31]. Jesus said this was the second greatest commandment, also summed up in what’s been called the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated [Matthew 7:12].

So, we appreciate God’s loving care, reflect it back to him, and then show that same kindness to those around us.

What’s left? Go home.

As he opens his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul describes his end of life dilemma. He admits he doesn’t know what he should do.

If he dies, he gets to be with Jesus. If he lives, he gets to keep on serving others. Since he is still capable of service in the name of God, he is willing to postpone Heaven in order to continue to pass the love around [Philippians 1:21-26].

For Christians, I think that’s a great way to approach our life of service. Do what you can as long as you can.

Then there comes a time for all of us when we can no longer be a blessing. For the Christian, it’s okay to go home to our forever family.

No matter who we are, we can be guided by that first purpose of life, discover that God loves you, love him back, pass it around, and go home.

In Part 2 I’ll share my thoughts on the other main purpose of life. It’s about how we’re only getting started.

——————

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Where Is The Mercy?

There are times in the Old Testament where God appears very harsh. It’s true. He orders or allows incredible violence. He seems to be inflexible. His judgment is sometimes swift and final.

The people were, understandably, afraid.

Like with many aspects of his character so much of what parents have experienced throughout history mirror the role of God as a heavenly Father.

When parents learn how to devote themselves to their kids, providing, protecting, teaching, nurturing, they get a taste of what God experiences as he cares for his children. He sacrifices himself for his family, a caring act every living parent understands.

He, and we, also know what it’s like to have to punish our children. I think the worst part of that unpleasant task is knowing our kids may not understand why we need to do it.

Remember the old cliche “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you”, spoken right before a spanking? I heard that as a kid. At the time I couldn’t imagine how that could be true. Later as a parent I understood.

My wife and I didn’t spank our kids, but found other ways to make an impression. Neither our daughter or son caused us any problems, and they turned out great.

There are times when God had to make an impression on his people.

If I were God, which would not be a good idea, I would have given up on the human race a long time ago. I doubt I’m alone. But through Old Testament history we see God’s patience and kindness.

He could have chosen not to give Noah a heads up about the flood that was coming. He did anyway.

His people faithfully stuck with a depressing cycle. Needing help, they called out to God, who rescued them. They were grateful, became complacent, then began to ignore him again, followed by another crisis, which forced them to call out for God’s help again. This happened over and over and over. Each time, God took a deep breath and rescued them once more.

That shows us his amazing mercy.

In those times he continued to work through faithful servants who had been open to his leading, despite the failures of many. They and we may not fully understand all of his reasons for how he dealt with all his disappointments. But I believe that even though I may not personally understand it all, I believe I know him well enough to trust him.

Did they think he treated them harshly? Sure, as would any six-year-old who got caught, or was about to touch a hot stove, or began to act out when upset. And yet he remained merciful.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. [NIV]

God knew the people had to learn to trust him. Later, his relationship with his people began to evolve. We see Jesus treat people in a very different way.

With notable exceptions, the people of the Old Testament era had a limited understanding of the true loving nature of God. Actually, that’s still true today, although God went ahead and gave the Church a clearer appreciation of his character.

Ephesians 2:4-10 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

He has always shown his mercy.

In the New Covenant we still face consequences, but our understanding should have matured to the point where we have a better appreciation for what is really going on.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. [see verses 4-13]

There is a catch. When a kid messes up, they must be held accountable. But because they are just a kid, we make allowances for their immaturity. Adults are treated differently.

God expects believers in the New Covenant era to take greater responsibility for their actions and inactions. He still shows mercy, but has higher expectations for us.

Luke 12:48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Where is the mercy? All around us, always was there, and so it remains.

——————

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Leave a comment Posted on April 29, 2022

Up From The Abyss We Arose

Life is full of tragedy. No elaboration is necessary.

What is helpful is to think about how one gets past the darkest moments of life, the challenges that drain the soul, the perils that threaten to unravel whatever feelings of serenity we have been able to wrap around us to protect us from the constant assaults that stalk us like famished wolves.

Before that climactic Passover week in Jerusalem, the Apostles, like most of their countrymen, were looking forward to the restoration of their nation, the full revealing of the Messiah they had followed for over 3 years. They felt this was it, and their adrenaline was higher than it had ever been.

Then, suddenly, he was dead. Their Christ was gone. They fled for their lives. They hid in terror. All appeared lost.

So it seemed for a few days. Yet on a Sunday morning the mood changed. They remained confused, but their emotions shifted from bewildered devastation to hopeful anticipation. Things had not turned out as they expected. Instead, their new reality was beyond anything they could have imagined. [Eph. 3:20-21]

And so it can be with us. Whenever life seems at it’s worse, and hope seems a cynical tease, it helps to recall or imagine those times when we felt the rush of pure joy. We can remind ourselves that one day those feelings will return.

While we may not have experienced these personally, we can at least imagine the relief that comes from life’s best moments.

The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes with our graduation, or landing the job we wanted, or beginning a long-awaited and deserved retirement.

The birth of a child or grandchild, their graduation, a baptism or wedding.

Paying off a mortgage or lingering crushing credit card debt.

News of a improved medical prognosis.

The restoration of a friendship you have missed, moving past whatever drove the two of you apart.

The Christian hope of a life beyond the heartache of life here. I don’t believe we’re supposed to know much about Heaven, for good reason. All I need to know is in Revelation 21:1-4, where Heaven is described as a place of perfect peace where we get to live with God.

Even if other respites I’ve mentioned have failed, and one has never had the chance to experience those joys, Christians have this final and permanent solace that lies beyond.

So when life is at its worst, and you need encouragement, remember or imagine the relief that comes when things go well.

Jesus knew how everything would turn out when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matt. 26:39 NIV].

Since he has been where you are, he understands, sympathizes, and is waiting for you to let him help you out of your abyss.

———————————

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

1 Comment Posted on July 27, 2019December 19, 2020

Life Doesn’t Always Turn Out Like You Thought It Would

It starts when we’re young. We imagine ourselves as adults and dream of what we will be. I went through the phases of wanting to be an astronaut, an archaeologist, an engineer like my dad, and by junior high an architect.

We want, and expect, our lives to be bigger and more meaningful than what we’ve experienced as a child.

By the time we begin to build an adult life we imagine a perfect family, career success and acclaim, financial stability, and whatever other fantasies we’ve concocted.

Then the realities of life intervene. Stuff happens. Complications derail. People don’t respond like you expected. The Law of Unintended Consequences demands a place at the table, and frequently ends up in charge.

What happened? Generals tell us that you can only plan for the first 5 minutes of a battle. After that, well… things just unfold and you have to adapt.

And so it is with life. What do we do when what we expected doesn’t happen? How do we deal with personal disappointments? Why might we feel like a failure?

Some have great success, adored by all, with satisfying affirmation. But that’s not what most people experience.

We may have the opposite problem of King Solomon. In his Bible book Ecclesiastes he talks about how none of his accomplishments gave him satisfaction. In the end he came to the conclusion that he only found peace by obeying God and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. (Ecc. 2:24-26, 12:13-14)

None of us are likely to have experienced his level of success. Yet we can draw the same conclusions.

If Solomon had great achievements, decided they were meaningless, and chose to adjust his priorities, so can we. We can substitute our disappointments with his accomplishments and find the peace he accepted.

After all, if someone successful realizes they’ve been wrong, then perhaps we’ve been too hard on ourselves.

Perhaps we need to adjust some of those oversized goals and find more realistic and healthier ambitions.

We can embrace humility. We’re not the best and the brightest, and that’s okay. When we are challenged to “reach for the stars” that unrealistic fantasy leaves many feeling like losers. Already facing so many disappointments we don’t need to make it worse.

We can remind ourselves of the difference between societal status and glory, and what truly matters in the end. Some things in my life didn’t turn out like I expected. But I have a faithful wife of 43 years who loves me, two kids who turned out great and married well, grandkids, have had some accomplishments, and belong to God who has welcomed me into his family. So … I’m okay.

We can celebrate the smallest of achievements. Every positive thing you do makes the world better. It may not be the lead story on the news, and it’s unlikely to even be mentioned at all. But you and God know you’ve done something right. Be grateful for whatever good you do, as long as God gets the credit.

We may discover that although life didn’t turn out the way we thought it would, we’re learning to accept the life we have.

———————————————–

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis

Leave a comment Posted on May 18, 2019December 19, 2020

The Feast Has Come

The crowd waits in eager anticipation. They had all listened to the teacher talk about how one day they would all be together. He described a place where the willing would gather, where peace would calm, where love would reign.

They had shared with each other their longing for this comfort. And now they knew the time had come. The teacher had described it as a wedding feast and all those who accepted his invitation were more than ready to cross the threshold and start the party.

The doors opened. The aroma of the feast rolled like a gentle wave in and through the crowd. There was light and music and wonder.

Finding their seats, they settled in for a delightful forever. There were people from all nations, all races, throughout all of history. Despite some minor differences in culture, there was a bond that held them together, a common connection, a willingness to be one.

After a moment they all saw him. Radiant. Gracious. Smiling. Gentle. He welcomed all to the feast. He spoke about how he had eagerly waited for this moment, the fulfillment of the Kingdom. Now they were all together, a forever family of faith.

These believers had allowed him to prepare them for the feast. He had touched their hearts. He had cleansed them. He had made them whole. Without him they would never have been ready.

For they weren’t mere guests at this wedding feast. They, as a group, were the bride. The groom had prepared everything ahead of time. They had done their best to remain faithful and pure and had always looked forward to this very day.

As the feast began, the memory of what was before began to fade. The disappointments, the failures, the shame, the pain, the guilt, the doubt. They all shriveled into a faint recollection before they vanished disappeared forever.

Finally, the bread was passed, and each took a piece. The cup was shared, and they all drank. For it was time to celebrate.

————————

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis

Communion Meditation at Post Road Christian Church 5/5/2019

Leave a comment Posted on February 22, 2019December 19, 2020

Needing Hope

God has made you promises that he will keep. You are not going to have to face your life challenges by yourself. He is with you, like he has always been with his people.

Now God never promised he would wave a magic wand and make your life perfect. I know this from personal experience. I have given God some brilliant suggestions over the years but…well… He has promised that he will walk beside us, always.

The writer of Hebrews quotes the writer of Deuteronomy quoting God. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [Hebrews 13:5b]

He is with us when we don’t know what to do, pulled in different directions, torn between imperfect choices. He stands with us and helps us feel his presence, his calm, his hope. He encourages us to lean on his strength to get us through the roughest of times.

How can you know he’s with you? You have to have thought through your own story. You have to remember all the times he has helped you get through the worst of troubles. We need to see how he has been there for others, sure. But it’s most meaningful when we remember has he has stood with us. We have to know our history.

God offers a peace unlike any other. When you are stressed and frazzled, his peace calms. When you are harassed by others, his peace reassures. When you are uncertain where your life is headed, his peace will gently take you by the hand and lead you.

While talking with his apostles in the upper room, Jesus told them

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

This is a peace that may not even make sense. It’s near impossible to even explain to those who don’t have his Spirit within. It’s a peace that Philippians 4:7 says “surpasses all understanding.”

It is because of that peace that we can have hope. There are mysteries we will never fully understand, but we can still have his peace. Our families maybe in dysfunctional turmoil, but we can feel his peace. We are assaulted by a media onslaught of community violence, political upheaval, and disintegrating security, but still, there is his peace.

And that is why he causes the falling and rising of many. God is willing to lift you up. Although it’s a cliché it’s still true: you can’t really look up until you’re flat on your back.

When you struggle to pay the bills, rush from one obligation to the next, listening to the needs and demands of your family and your boss, desperately juggling five or six balls in the air only to have another one come at you from out of nowhere it makes you want to scream for it all to stop.

He is there. He can lift you up.

When you feel your husband or wife takes you for granted, or your kids are in a state of rebellion, or your friendships are strained and about to shred because of a stupid misunderstanding, it seems like you are all alone and don’t have a true friend in the world.

He is there. He can lift you up.

When you know what God has called you to be, and you know you have not lived up to the life he wants for you, when you have clearly understood his will and yet intentionally allowed your weaknesses to rule your life poisoning your relationship with your loving heavenly Father and you think it’s all your fault [and you’d be right] it may make you think that all is lost.

No. He is there. He can lift you up.

God and God alone is capable of honoring all his promises. In that, there is hope.

The peace that he wants for us can give us a piece of his presence, which can help us maintain hope.

The salvation he offers makes up for all that we cannot do on our own, the fulfillment of hope.

No matter what crud we have to deal with we know he is with us, and we can lean on his hope.

The world is full of disappointments. But we love and serve a God who gives hope.

—————–

Excerpts from the message Let His Hope Shine; 12/30/18 at Post Road Christian Church

Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis