Mt. Baker

Mt. Baker
Fire lookout, Mt. Baker, WA - Oct. 2013

Monday, February 17, 2014

Some things in life are given

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." -Reinhold Niebuhr

Certain things in life are given to us, and we have no say in them. For example, our hair color, nationality, the cultural background we grew up in, even our parents and family history, was all decided for us regardless of our preferences or opinion. This gives us perspective with how we deal with the circumstances we find ourselves in. Some things beyond our control we should simply not worry about, because that is within the realm of our responsibility.

Our purpose in life was also given to us by our Creator. This is statement is probably a point of contention between people of faith and the modern thinking of secular culture. But although democratic society tells us that we can decide our purpose and aspirations in life, is that really in line with the principles of the universe?

Those who think they can determine their own purpose will soon find that pursuing a purpose not intended by our Creator does not lead to a meaningful or fulfilling life, because the universe was created for a certain and particular reason. We have to align with that reason to allow our lives to have value.

However, contrary to our instinctive thinking, this realization also liberates us in a sense. How often do we become trapped in confusion because are pursuing our own ambitions and purposes in contradiction to the purpose God intends for us? Once we recognize that all we need to do is let go of our misguided pursuits and submit to a Heavenly purpose, we find much greater value and happiness than we could ever imagine in the chaotic mess of our own self-centered ambitions.

Edmonds Bay, Puget Sound - Feb. 13, 2014

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