Title: The Identity of Human Misery
the essence of human misery
2006-01-22
I. Entering
In the past, we have learned that human happiness lies in possession, and that only those who possess the eternal, unchanging and perfect God can enjoy true happiness. Today, in this hour, we are going to look at the identity (cause) of human misery that is not happy.
II. Human Misery: Poverty
If we see happiness as being in possession, we can say that human misery, that is, its misery, is a phenomenon that comes from not having what we really want to have. Therefore, the ultimate identity of human misery stems from the lack of possessions and poverty. Man is made up of two essential elements, body and soul, and when these two elements lack what they need, they become miserable.
A. Phenomenological: physical deprivation
Phenomenologically, when the body falls into poverty, human beings become miserable. In order not to fall into such misery, people try to obtain the resources of this earth, and with those resources they struggle to escape poverty and become happy. In fact, if the resources of this land are too scarce, such as poverty and hunger, the suffering becomes so severe that human dignity or even survival itself is threatened. In this way, the resources to fill the deprivation of the body can be a condition for a certain degree of happiness for humans. However, the fact that wealthy western societies with well-established social security systems have the highest suicide and divorce rates shows that this alone cannot solve the ultimate human deprivation. Therefore, although the physical deprivation that appears to be phenomenal appears as the total cause of human misery, in reality, the deprivation of the soul is the more essential cause.
B. Essential: The Poverty of the Soul
The human soul, created to be immortal, can be happy by eating true wisdom, not knowledge. Greece in the 3rd and 5th centuries BC, when philosophy blossomed, created a democracy and established a system of philosophical thought for the happiness of all human beings, but it has become an era with the highest suicide rate in human history. This shows that even a lot of human knowledge cannot be the true food of the soul, and thus makes us realize that the ultimate deficiency of the soul cannot be solved by human effort. The soul's food is wisdom, not knowledge. You must have a knowledge of the true truth, and when you correctly recognize the truth and try to align your life with it, wisdom arises. Without knowing this truth, people try to fill their own material resources and want to be happy.
III. Happiness: freedom from poverty
Freedom from poverty by owning resources is human happiness. Even as a resource for the soul. So, how did God solve this problem that humans could not solve? God freed humans from this need by giving them eternal life.
A. Eternal Life: Fellowship with God
Eternal life refers to our union with God, the Spirit, so that His life is provided to us forever. Only this communion with Him can solve the poverty that is the essence of human misery, and make it possible to be happy. Because it gives us the following double supply.
B. Dual supply
1. Life: When you truly believe in Jesus and are born again, you are immediately grafted into Him to form one body, and His life is provided. Thus, we live together with the life of Jesus that we could not enjoy before being regenerated, and even when our souls are being dragged into death, this law of life causes us to live in opposition to it so that we can abide in Him.
2. Earth and heavenly resources: God provides resources together with life, which does not bring direct blessings of heaven (spiritual) resources and souls that directly touch our souls, but is provided to us in the order of things. There are earthly resources that are losing. The latter refers to material resources that are necessary to live as human beings or to become tools necessary to fulfill the mission given to them, while the former refers to the grace that God directly touches our souls (eg, a mother who is wounded in tribulation). The story of a daughter who took care of her with love, a service that only a graced soul can do). We can enjoy all these resources in abundance by having an eternal God. For He is not only the source of the blessing of the soul, but also the source of all happiness. Therefore, all efforts to enjoy resources without possessing Him are futile (eg, people have made futile attempts through thought, philosophy, literature, art, etc.).
IV. to own God
A. God's Moral Rule
When God created the world, He created it with a clear purpose. Therefore, all things have a purpose of existence, and moreover, man, a moral creature, has a clearer moral purpose of God. Just like a parent's heart for a child who raises children with moral intent, rather than demanding only natural ends (what happens naturally according to the rule of nature). There are various aspects, but ultimately the world is governed according to God's moral purpose.
B. No Neutral
Therefore, every human being is bound to choose between living according to God's will or living against God's will, whether he or she wants it or not.
C. Reconciliation with God
Possessing God does not mean simply acknowledging that He lives, but that life is abundantly supplied by reconciliation with Him and living according to His moral governing purpose. for this,
1. Do not depart from God through wrong desires and wickedness: In a negative way, one does not depart from God through wrong desires and wickedness.
2. Loving God and dedicating heart and life: We must actively dedicate our heart to God and live a life of devotion. It is not just that we are free from evil by our actions, but that we should live a life of devotion with our heart and will.
V. CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION
All human misery stems from the desire to pursue happiness beyond the place God has assigned to man. But we do not have the resources to solve the poverty within us. Only by possessing God and by giving up all other pursuits other than Him can our souls be freed from poverty and reach true happiness. To truly love oneself is to hate oneself, and to truly hate oneself is to love oneself. Only emptying oneself, loving God, and living in harmony with the truth in one's heart and life can overcome all poverty. Because the source of true happiness is God, and only being attached to Him is life to us. 2006-01-22