Admittedly, quality is a bit of a subjective assessment. However, no matter what the benchmark agreed upon, there is always a line. Consider “quality of life”, for example. I would submit to you that the benchmark for quality of life is the best achievable comfort and positive state considering all circumstances and conditions imposed on the life being assessed for quality. In saying this, I consider that all “circumstances and conditions” are imposed as a result of two primary factors: the nature of mankind as sinful and fallible and mankind’s creation as beings with the responsibility of choice.
In all things, we choose our actions and our attitudes, based on our assessment of value…quality, if you will. When things “happen to you” or “happen around you”, there are always choices to be made about action and attitude. Don’t fool yourself in thinking you have no decisions to make or no options to consider. The only “victims” who truly exist are those who might want to choose something but require someone else’s actions to be in sync with their choices. For instance, the existence of life is the manifestation of that life choosing to live. Another’s choice to the contrary on their behalf makes them a victim of a choice of another. In other words, someone valued the victim’s quality of life as lesser than another’s.
This shell, this clay pot, this vessel was not built to last. In fact, from birth, our bodies began to die. This is not a morbid observation; it is a statement of scientific fact. This body will age and wither and die. Internal organs will become less efficient, skin will dry, thin, and wrinkle, hair will fall out or turn grey, brains will malfunction or quit altogether, and in spite of all decisions to fight off the inevitable, the inevitable will happen. It may happen quickly, unexpectedly, or after a life full of many years. Your choice to make is how you are going to live the life you have?
Consider my assessments:
- It is not all about you. Much of your own life is not about you. As a Christian, I believe my focus should be about using my gift of life to show others God’s love and demonstrate how His kindness leads us to repentance. I believe my focus should be to learn how to extend forgiveness, grace, and understanding to others by choice.
- The life in this vessel is not the end-all-be-all. This is a practice of relationships…the cultivating of healthy ones and the practice of looking to and depending on God for everything, yes, everything. The sooner you comprehend and internalize that, the sooner you will be enlightened to seeing your life and the world through His eyes.
- The body is not the person. The body is a container. It is a required accessory for life in this reality. I believe that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. When this body ceases to function, I will continue to live in God’s presence! That’s a huge trade-up in my assessment of quality of life!
- We have a responsibility while in this vessel. We should choose to love and forgive…choose to care for this vessel as best we can in its mortal state…choose to ingest healthy things and speak life into the world instead of hatred and malice…choose to value others and our relationships.
- Bad things (sometimes really bad things) are going to happen. Crimes against you, afflictions, tragedies, losses. We must choose to align our attitudes with understanding of what this life is, as I have explained. The universe is not against you, and God has already proven His love for you. If we understand that our lives continue after existing in this mortal container, then we understand that this “human condition” is a very small part of our existence.
- Very wondrous things will also happen to and all around us. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Relish the amazing things and relationships of your life. It will help you make good choices.
I, for one, choose to value you. Whoever you are, if you got this far in reading what I have to say, come away with that. You matter…well beyond this life. I hope that if you didn’t before that you believe that now. It is the one thing that was actually built to last.
