172 "Solid Rock"

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

“Solid Rock,” a Christian hymn (http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1998i/Ward.html ), is a telling way to describe why to have faith in Jesus. So, before I elaborate further on meaningful standards, I include it here:

A Hymn of Grace

THE SOLID ROCK

Keith W. Ward
Scientist
Coatesville, PA

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

—Edward Mote (1797-1874)

To be continued . . .

171 Implication #4: Superior Standards for Right Meaning-Making

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

I may not have left “the best for last” but I certainly have saved the most important implication of meaning-seeking for last—Right Meaning-seeking must involve superior standards and values.

Up to now, I have spent a lot of time on the diversity inherent in placing meaning-seeking in a title role of Significant Truth. And diverse it is. I have only scratched the surface in mining meaning for all it’s worth. Perhaps the reason is my understanding of meaning-making is still emerging. Yet, the fact remains that I gave it quite prominence by making it Significant Truth #2.

Be that as it may, what intrigues me most about meaning now, as I ponder moving on from meaning-making to Significant Truth #3 (whose subject is as yet to be revealed), is how intrinsic right meaning-making ability is to life fitness. This truth leads me to ponder the audacity required to ignore such a fact. It would be like saying I don’t care if muscle is required to walk. I refuse to build muscle!

With that said, recall with me what I wrote in Blog #146, Challenge #6: “Meaning shapes personal values and must be evaluated by using standards and measurements.”

It’s time now to deal with that.

To begin, right meaning requires, without exception, right standards. Standards are a distinct category of thinking and can range from sterling to base (and cheap base at that—silver plated nickel is the only kind of hollowware to have that is plate, in my opinion, Dear Reader. But that does not keep such plate on the shelves. No indeed. Instead, silver on cheap base is stacked to the ceiling in the department stores, though frequently the jewelry stores of today are no better either.

That being the case, I am going to share with you over the next few blogs what standards I use to measure meaningfulness. And where I got them.

To be specific, at this point in my life, Patient Reader, I have plenty of reliable objective and subjective standards for just about anything I choose to believe, think or do, plus well-exercised mental faculties. Both stem from the substantial underpinning of my airhead debutante ways with Judeo-Christian teachings. And it is this foundation that has saved me from a wasted life.

Next blog, I will elaborate.

To be continued . . .

170 The Futility of Meaningless Choices

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

As a last note on the futility of meaningless choices (though it is a subject to which I will inevitably return of necessity from time to time), Gentle reader, I must point to the damage such choices do, the hurt they can generate. Meaningless choices have devastating effects upon life, Gentle Reader. They can and regularly do trigger dire consequences in both the immediate and long term.

At the very least, even one meaningless choice is a missed opportunity to harvest good and therefore an occasion of lost harvest. Lost harvest means less provision for the future, may even mean compromise of one’s whole future.

Because of that, I regularly try to make meaningful choices (by praying my way through them).

And to do so means that I also must regularly empty myself of negative attitudes (admit them and confess them to God and be open about my failings to others).Then I must identify the appropriate positive attitude and replace the negative attitude with it. Finally, I must remember to practice the new attitude until by the power of Holy Spirit it becomes part of me. This process is what I call an identify-think pattern.

Scripture says, to paraphrase, that no temptation is happening to me that is not common to all people (1 Corinthians 10:13). So you and I—we—Gentle Reader, according to Scripture do have a lot in common and can profit or suffer from many of the same kind of things such as positive or negative attitudes. Bad thing about an established negative attitude is that it creates what I call a negative identify-react pattern of living. Good thing about an established positive attitude, it creates the positive identify-think pattern of behavior I described above. And that's always a good thing.

Therefore, once I identify a negative attitude in myself, I know immediately what I want to do—I want to do the opposite—I want to let go of the negative and embrace the positive. I have discussed this before, but it bears repeating.

Negative attitudes are adversarial to positive attitudes. It’s that simple. And, in my experience, every time I indulge in a negative attitude, it never gives me the desired result—satisfaction! In fact, every time I have indulged in a negative attitude it has resulted in hurt for both me and others.

Thus my determination to be free of hurtful attitudes and my sincere hope that you so determine also. Being free of hurtful attitudes protects one and all from hurt, Gentle Reader. And I think I can safely say that protection from hurt is something for which we all yearn in one fashion or the other.

And I think then I can also safely conclude that protection from the hurtfulness of meaningless choices positions us for abundant living even in a fallen world. But it is a choice each of us must make. What we choose makes us who we are. We are defined by our choices.

Thankfully, I need look no further for the perfect model of truth and meaningful choices than Jesus Christ who provides all the inspiration I need for all my life aspirations and can for you, too.

My choice.

To be continued . . .

169 Do Not Disturb

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

The 2011 Christian Season of Lent begins today, Wednesday, March 9 and lasts until Easter Sunday, April 24. It is a sober season of serious reflection upon the suffering and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Only Living God and Savior of the world.

So, what better time to continue on the subject of attitude adjustment, since it is the principle outcome of the Lenten contemplative journey?

Let me explain. Gentle Reader, Scripture calls attitude adjustment repenting (rethinking and turning from one attitude or behavior to a better attitude or behavior) and recommends an ongoing lifestyle of personal relationship with Jesus, reflection and dependence upon His goodness, and repentance from a life of meaningless choices and wrong doing.

And how grateful I am that Scriptural repentance (attitude adjustment in Christ Jesus) blooms so easily when nurtured in life, Dear Reader, in mine, or yours, or anyone’s for that matter. And how grateful I am that the briar patch of bad attitudes I have neglectfully allowed to spring up over a lifetime can and is being beauteously transformed in an ongoing way all because of Him— through His power and in His practices such as the Lenten journey.

If such can happen in my life because of Jesus, Gentle Reader, anyone else, including Crosby and Jasmine (from last blog), can also have a blooming garden of splendid attitudes for her/his very own. It just takes attitude adjustment in Christ Jesus and Lent is the high season for that.

That being the case, to profit from the practice of Lent, it is necessary to open oneself to the experience. The problem is that most of us are ordinarily fiercely resistant to change, wouldn’t you agree, Gentle Reader?

For example, when Sweet Spirit emailed me a comment on Blog #163: Meaningless Choices. She said, “I believe that FEAR is the number one reason why people don't search.” We have already had a wee look at that idea in another blog.

Then she proceeded to add: “Number two would have to be that people become so set in who they *think* they are that they forget that there are bigger things than themselves out there.

I wrote back to her, “I also loved your Point Number 2— why people don't search for meaning—they get too set in their ways! Now that's a subtle little nugget of insight all too easily overlooked! Yes, I think people do (and I know I find myself sometimes doing so) get too comfortable with their (my) own thinking and frankly prefer to put out a "do not disturb" sign on their (or my) mindset, a condition generally described as a state of denial.”

Sweet Spirit sees this connection. She understands that fear and denial eventually become a fused pair with obdurate objection to interference of any kind, even of the noble kind such as that of Lent.

Obviously, having a “do not disturb” mindset is going to set me up for frequent “meaningless choices,” Gentle Reader. It’s going to set anyone up, including Crosby and Jasmine in the TV show Parenthood.

Unless, of course . . . unless I (they) repent.

Repenting corrects my (or their) mindset.

Attitude Adjustment corrects my (or their) mindset and puts us on a better path.

Contemplating the generosity of spirit of Jesus Christ over the season of Lent can do just that.

So, Lent has begun, and it’s time for me to take off my “do not disturb sign” and go deep and I cordially invite you to do the same. I can assure you, Gentle Reader, I know from experience, meaningful change of the right kind is an enduring blessing well worth the effort!

To be continued. . .

168 Most Beautiful Butterfly

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

Gentle Reader, some may still wish to debate my last blog saying, your two points really mean then that anything that lends structure to the person can actually be enough meaning in life—be it Buddhism, psychiatry, self-help gurus, philosophy, etc.—not everyone wants to fly.

Nope. That’s not the meaning.

People superficially benefit from such support structures, but it is and always will be found true that no bona fide help other than the most beautiful butterfly of the power of grace through Jesus Christ fulfills the potential of the human being.

Only by grace—by the power of His grace through the Holy Spirit—can and will His Christian promises and principles absolutely restore (to better-than-ever condition) the person, the thinking, behavior, emotions, spirit, scruples and virtues, health, future, whatever, in totality, to any human being.

The only hope for that kind of beautiful restoration is forever to be found singularly in Christ Jesus. Scripture taught me this. Scripture has taught others this, making their choice to believe meaningful, their mistakes often-times correctable, their hearts tender and useful, and the people around them the better for it.

If asked, I recommend Christianity to everyone now, and in the strength of Holy Spirit, will every time. In this blog, I share with you the great opportunity (by way of a personal sort-out begun so many years ago) that I was given to become a follower of good and depend on Jesus. It has been my daily journey and will continue to be. It takes time to know and be known, love and be loved.

If you, Gentle Reader, have not chosen to let Jesus recruit you to the shelter of His grace, you can right now.

Just be like me and countless others. Just ask.

I used words that admitted need.

I poured out sorrow over pain and misery I have experienced from or inflicted upon others through arrogant disregard of His desire for me to become a follower of good.

I admitted that He and only He is the embodiment of good and that I want to follow Him, live His Way.

I asked Him for His forgiveness. I asked Him to come to reign and rule in my heart always.

Then I put my trust in the word of Jesus who said: “. . . ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Luke11:9, NKJV).”

And it was then I received by grace His forgiveness and began His journey of Restoration: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 5:14, NKJV).”

Today, it is still a daily journey to turn away from my old habits and replace them with His ways by the power of His grace.

And each day, I commit yet again to never stop loving Jesus and desiring an ever-growing personal relationship with Him, regardless of the trials, doubts, fears and discouragement that would defeat me.

Christianity is a great structure for life, Gentle Reader, evidence to that truth abounds all around us, for any caring to notice. Christianity is a great, resilient and rewarding practice for Christians, and potentially for all whose life it touches. It is always a structure that recommends reliable, respectful, moderate, and self- sacrificing behavior in all things. It always recommends thinking and doing the right thing!

Oh, it all is making such sense to me now! It’s just the times we live in that want to persuade us that right is wrong and wrong is right. I get fooled by this tactic regularly, and repeatedly must rely on Jesus to resolve quandaries of my own making. But if you do not, you can too.

And remember, Dear Ones, once found in Jesus, one can never again be irretrievably lost —that’s the power of His grace. That’s the power of asking Jesus to be the one one’s heart can count on forever. Jesus is a lifeline of mercy not just to me but to anyone suffering the misery of this fallen world. His commitment to us is eternal and His love a model of genuine, hard-working and useful love for self and others.

All I and anyone else (including Jasmine, her Mom, Crosby, Wise Brother Adam, even you, Thoughtful Reader) have to do to receive this powerful grace is to recognize the truth of who Jesus is, the peril that lies in errant thinking that excludes Him, the superiority and supremacy of His ways, the supernatural power His grace conveys, and the dire necessity of asking for and receiving it.

To choose to do anything else, Scripture says, is a truly meaningless choice. And I agree.

My Choice.

To be continued . . .