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heart will be, and also .. the light
of the body" (Matthew 6:21 , 22).
They are the things one focuses
and depends upon to g ive pur–
pose, identity, self-worth and
security in life.
You need to be aware what
your real treasure, hopes and val–
ues are! Many of them may be
wrong
values, desi res or feelings
planted in your mind by Satan or
learned from your culture, which
has been cut off from God and his
ways.
Humans c ut off f rom God
establish different and usually
false values, ideals and hopes,
a nd possess varying physical,
emotional and spiritual resources
to achieve them. They conse–
quent l y es t a bli s h different
breakingpoints if their hopes or
resources fail.
A person may or may not be
aware of his or her breakingpoint
or points. People are not always
aware of the limitations of their
resources. Tbey are pushed into
the subconscious mind or denied.
For many, of course, the break–
ingpoint or resources have never
been tested.
The breakingpoint, or failure
of resources, that triggers fear,
hopelessness or depression may
be one thing for one person,
something else for anotber.
One person's breakingpoint
may be failing to achieve or main–
tain a certain financia! status in
life . For another it is the loss of,
or not being able to have, a cer–
tain friend or mate.
Another's breakingpoint is not
receiving or keeping a certain job
or position in life. Another's is
loss of health, or the prospect of
death.
Another's is loss of physical
attractiveness or beauty. Anoth–
er's is loss of certain material pos–
sessions; another' s is loss of chi l–
dren or something that happens
to them.
It
is not wrong to want to be
loved .
lt
is not wrong to enjoy a
respectable status or possessions
or to gain reasonable security for
ourselves and our children. They
are right and good if gained in
34
accordance with God's laws, if
one is able to afford them and use
them properly.
But Jes us taught, " l s no t
life"- that is, the ultimate pur–
pose of life-..more than food,
and the body more than cloth–
ing?" (Mattbew 6:25) .
Jesus taught there is a purpose
to your life that transcends physi–
cal life. AIJ good gifts or oppor tu–
nities in this physical life–
human, material or other gifts–
are temporary. They are but tools
to be used to achieve something
higher and eterna!, the real pu r–
pose of one's
existence-develop–
ing
Godly character!
This true purpose of life is so
enormous and important that
Jesus taught us not to fear what
men may do to us for obed ience
to bis ways, for the most they can
do is destroy physical life, not the
opportunity to receive eterna!
Ji
fe.
Good physical possessions or
opportunities should be appre–
ciated and cared for while they
last. But they are not forever.
Tbey are not the end-all , the
be-all purpose of life in them–
selves.
But all of us misguided human
beings have, at sorne time or
another, made them so!
When we allow wrong, sel fi sh
or negative ways of thinking to
take root in our mind- jealousy,
envy, covetousness, lust or hate,
for instance- we violate the
spiritual laws of peace of mind
revealed in the Ten Command–
ments. We commit idolatry and
ot her s ins that automatically
produce problems and fears we
may not have r esour ces to
solve.
Sin, the transgression of God 's
law (1 J ohn 3:4), focuses our
minds on fal se desires, false val–
ues, wrong wants, hopes and ways
of thinking. We lose focus on
God's values and ways to secure
our needs. We lose focus on
God's spiritual resources and
power to help us. We trust in our
way and resources. And wben we
realize our thinking, hopes and
resources are insufficient, or have
failed, we fall prey to fear and
depression.
Why Near-hopelessness Ahead?
Never have so many millions totally
set their hearts, affections and sense
of personal worth on persons, mate–
rial possessions or sensual pleasures
that can be suddenly swept away in
an accident , in economic turmoil or
natural disasters.
At the same t ime, never have the
results of Satan's ways in human
lives and nations- war, sickness,
economic instability, family break–
down, crime and violence- so jeo–
pardized all the temporary things
and dreams that humans have put
their trust and hope in!
You need to stop and ask what
are the most important values in
your life. What are true and last–
ing values anyway?
lt
is not surprising that more
and more youths as well as adults
are emotionally unstable, without
a clear and dynamic purpose or
hope in life. They see futil ity and
trouble ahead in the world, even
in tbe most materially prosperous
cultures.
They do not see the wonderful
World Tomorrow soon to be set
up on earth by J esus Christ–
that's the good news or Gospel
(..gospel" means good news) he
brought to man nearly 2,000
years ago. How many humans are
focusing thei r attention on and
preparing themselves to take a
vitally needed role in that soon–
coming age that will put a stop to
world evi ls? That is a hope worth
preparing for though al! else–
including your own p hys ical
life-fails in this age!
Lack of t his kind of dynamic
purpose and hope is why so many
seek escape from the seemingly
insoluble problems of their lives
or of this age in drugs or alco–
hol--or suicide!
l sn't it t ime you captured true
values that would prevent problems
before they arise? l sn' t it time you
tapped the ul t imate resources to
handle problems and chal lenges in
your life? They're in your Bible.
It
reveals the answers you've been
looking for. o
The
PLAIN TRUTH