I recently saw a quote from Mother Teresa that says "Unless a life is lived for others, then it's not worth living." For about a week now I have been praying with this quote, what makes a life "worth living" or not?? First, worth - what is worth? Worth is having some kind of value or substance to it. How easily there are different meanings to the word value even. Websters (who is my friend for these sorts of questions) says WORTH: monetary value;the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held; moral or personal value; excellence; wealth, riches.
Monetary worth - a material worth. For what substance in life does money bring? Yes, you may argue that it gives means to sustaining life - but how easily that monetary value/possessions leave us. Especially with our ever changing and crashing stock-markets and our unemployment rates increasing, this value is merely temporal. Therefor it leads us to maybe temporary fulfillment, to temporary "life worth living".
Worth by esteem, projected felt worth. For what substance to life does emotions bring? Yes, felt worth can lead to a "life worth living" some may say through confidence in ones own abilities. I must ask where is the emotion coming from? Is it felt worth being fueled by a fleeting "lovin' feelin'" or from a vain likeness to ones own beauty? How easily these things fade, beauty and how easily a lovin' feelin' can pass. So where then, other than once again a temporary value/substance to like does this person hold? Nothing sustaining. Nothing making life "worth living".
Now then, we come to the moral value, excellence. Spiritual worth, namely the worth of life. Down to the heart of it, each person being made in God's image and likeness is part of Him. Being an irreplaceable part of the Body of Christ, how much more substance do you want? The God of the Universe; He who is Alpha and Omega, makes each person part of His heart. Though this not tangeble like money or maybe felt like strongly like emotion; rather, it is deep within us, engraved upon our souls. Why else does each person long for completion? Like something in their life is missing? Because, if the person does not know the Lord, then they cannot see Christ in the face of every person they encounter and therefor find life not worth living.
If we arent engaging our brothers and sisters at their worth, at their value, at their heart of hearts, the life of Christ within them, we only will find value in some temporary fleeting sense of how to live.
If we arent engaging our brothers and sisters at their worth, at their value, at their heart of hearts, the life of Christ within them, we only will find value in some temporary fleeting sense of how to live.
So today, after having a weekend of being blessed enough to live well, to live it simply with my friends. I pray that the world can start listening to what that little beautiful Sister said years ago and start living for others.
Living your life with someone, for someone, and sharing in those times. That's truly what makes those small tasks extraordinary - walking towards Christ with someone beside you.
Peace & Prayers,
Stace
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