Seeing Yourself as You Are

by Richard A. Wiedenheft

Man's potential for greatness seems almost limitless. He can compress the circuitry of computers into tiny silicon chips. He can float a ready-built paper mill half-way round world, pump oil from far beneath the sea, send equipment through space to survey Mars, and travel to the moon. He also cares enough to rescue an endangered animal, nurse a dying parent, and dedicate his life to a cause greater than himself.

Yet there is an Achilles' heel in man's fantastic potential. While he can harness the energy of the atom, he cannot, it seems, harness his own spirit -- his emotions and thoughts. And he cannot avoid his ultimate fate: death.

For all his ability, man cannot solve the ancient social problems of humanity. Crime, divorce, juvenile delinquency, wars, disease, and racism plague the human race. For all his success, man is frequently a failure in his personal life as well. Unhappy marriages, alcoholism, escapism, bankruptcy, gluttony, despondency, and even suicide affect rich and poor alike. For all his achievements, man is still an individual with inferiorities, pride, stubbornness, anger, resentment, and guilt.

Aloneness

From the factory worker to the corporate executive, from share-cropper to movie star, all of us are human beings with one thing in common: We are lone individuals. We hang onto life by a frail thread, one heartbeat and one breath at a time. And we must face death, and whatever lies beyond, utterly alone.

Most of us don't want to think too much about the reality of what we are. We avoid the really big questions of life by getting involved in the business of living -- in the doing and going, in the working and building and achieving. We're spurred on by our successes and by our pride in taking care of ourselves.

Limitations

Sooner or later we run into problems we can't handle or master: sickness, the death of a loved one, loneliness, depression, loss of job, unresponsive children, a mate who doesn't understand, divorce, and ultimately for everyone, death. These problems should force us to face some of the deeper questions about life. They should make us realize that despite all our potential for greatness and goodness, we are still physical, temporal beings.

We are not the masters of our fate. We can think great thoughts and write eloquent words; we can lead good lives and dedicate ourselves to caring for others. We can discover, accomplish, and achieve -- or just survive from paycheck to paycheck. It doesn't matter; we are still mortal, cut off by our humanness from anything beyond this life.

Insecurity

We have no ultimate physical or emotional security inherent in us. We have no hope of anything beyond this life within ourselves. As the Bible proclaims, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27); "For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!" (Ecclesiastes 2:16).

The chances are that most people you know avoid facing the realities of life and death with a philosophy like "You only live once, so just enjoy it." They bury themselves in activities and avoid thinking too deeply, especially if things are going pretty well for them. Or perhaps if they've had some hard knocks, they have been forced to think about life -- and still they refuse to turn to the only real source of any meaningful answers. They would rather rely on themselves and take whatever comes, rather than submit to any supreme authority.

Facing the facts

But how about you?

Have you faced the question of your ultimate security and fate in life? Have you come to grips with your humanness that prevents you from realizing your ultimate potential -- both in this life and beyond? Have you solved the problem of your sins and guilt?

There is only one way to have real security, success, and happiness. There is only one way to wipe out guilt and bridge the gap separating you from the power and love of God and from eternal life. That way is Jesus Christ.

"My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40, NIV).

If you see the need for the power of God in your life, pray to Him. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life, to become your personal Savior and Master. Ask God to forgive your sins and to change your life. Then begin to put Him first in every area of your life.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV).

"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12).

A version of this article appeared in a past issue of the Bible Advocate magazine. For a free subscription, contact us at bibleadvocate@cog7.org. Richard A. Wiedenheft is a Christian writer living in Barrington, IL. Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

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