A recent study on meditation showed that with twenty minutes of instruction people could be taught how to meditate to relieve chronic pain as well as taking narcotic pain medication. Most people who take pain pills find that they don't completely relieve the pain, but rather mask it temporarily, "It still hurts, but I can tolerate it with the drugs," is the typical response. Meditation can do the same thing.
I have many patients with diabetes who want drugs to control their blood sugar. I try to explain how they can change what they eat, and their exercise, and reverse the disease altogether, but they say that's too hard. It's easier to take a pill. The drugs work, sort of, but never really make them normal, and cause many side-effects such as lack of energy, and heart-attacks. Controlling blood sugar with diet is better.
There are many ways to get, at least partially, the same effect. When we choose the ways of the world to achieve an end, we can get close, but we never really get satisfaction. It seems like it should be enough, but never really is. The drugs and all chemical means of making us feel better are limited either as to effects, or to time -- they may work for a time, and then quit working. The diabetic may be controlled by the chemicals, but he can never be cured, and will always get worse.
As good as it gets
The physical and chemical means of feeling good are limited. Once we try them, and they work, we feel better immediately. We want that effect to last, or to be just a little better so we can rest. A little more alcohol, a little more sex, a little more food, or a little more of the drug seems like it should satisfy, but in reality that is all there is -- that's as good as it gets! We can never reach the highest high, or the plateau where rest can be achieved so we continually search for more.
The largest reason why we cannot find satisfaction in the senses of the body is because that is not where the problem lies. We yearn for a connection with God, our Heavenly Father, but cannot understand that hunger. Many try to fill it with food. They eat incessantly and gain lots of fat. It feels almost like a little more food would fill their hunger, and, in fact, it seems to relieve it for a time. However, the feeling returns, and they go on to eat more.
Feelings are fickle. When we understand why we feel we can do something about it. However, most of the time the cause of our feelings is obscured by our senses. Touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing are so overwhelming to the quiet, soft, gentle whisper of the feelings of the spirit that we completely miss them. If we remain oblivious to our inner feelings, we will never find satisfaction in the things of the world.
The best of the best.
Peace, joy, happiness, and satisfaction only come from one source -- a connection with our Creator -- and this only happens through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ -- there is no other way. All the other ways touted by people lead to "lives of quiet desperation," depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Many say they are satisfied, and may be for a time, because they don't know anything better. They feel that, this is as good as it gets, and live with it. They learn to accept what is, no longer hoping for fulfilling joy and happiness.
I have lived a life of two-dimensions, without passions, just going along in the best way I knew how. I had satisfaction in things I did, but my life was a series of pictures, drawings, photographs, maps, spreadsheets, blueprints, and other two-dimensional objects. I knew there must be more, I wanted more, but I didn't even know what "more" meant. I don't think human beings can understand anything they haven't experienced. Even the "connections" I had with my wife and children were two-dimensional. I didn't know how to be in that third dimension because I had never experienced it -- and they couldn't show me because they hadn't either.
The third dimension is the heart, feelings, and spiritual understanding. These are things that are not understood with words, they can only be experienced. They are experienced as we seek for them. Karyn has been my angel of mercy, bringing me the third-dimension of love. I feel it for the first time. When she isn't there, I feel like something is missing. The word "miss" no longer has a two-dimensional meaning -- I feel it. And, because I feel it with her, I can feel it in other ways. I miss my Father in Heaven. I feel my need to be close to the Lord.
Joy is found in connecting the body with the spirit. This comes from a connection with God. Those who haven't felt it just remain ignorant and can lull themselves into thinking there is nothing more.
Those who only feel the senses of the body will never know the best of the best -- the feelings of the Spirit, or the feelings of God.
Those who have sexual relations to gratify their natural desires will never know the joy and love of real human intimacy.
Those who seek security in wealth will never know the Rock of peace and rest.
Those who eat for comfort will never be comforted.
Those who use legal or illegal drugs to feel good will never know happiness.
Those who are only seeking information will never know wisdom.
All of these will know pain and suffering as they must stop them at some point and have nothing. If they wait until the end they will "cold-turkey" off of everything at death -- and really be miserable. Whereas, those who have made a connection with God just continue to feel the peace, love, joy, and comfort that they have always felt in the Spirit.
Connection
Making the connection is simple, but very difficult. It requires changing from our physical world into a spiritual world. It requires constant prayer, and the sacrifice of all things. The Rich Young Ruler said he kept all the commandments, and then asked Jesus what he lacked to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus replied, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor." (Matthew 19:21) Likewise Jesus gave a parable of the Pearl of Great Price. A man who was seeking pearls, "when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matthew 13:46)
The price is all you have, or everything of the world. "All" means "all," and "all" is all "all" means. This means that we cannot hold back even a few pennies for ourselves -- or we die. Peter explains graphically when "a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price..." (Acts 5:1-2) Both died at Peter's feet, telling us the consequence of holding something back. You must give up all your food to be healthy. You must give up all your money to be wealthy. You must give up all your love to find charity. You must give up all your learning to find wisdom. In short, you must give up the lesser to find the greater. Having the best requires a sacrifice of all that is second-best.
Fasting from the feelings of the body helps us to feel the things of the spirit. These are the sacrifices we make to subdue the feelings of the body so we can make a connection with our spirits. Fasting from food is an essential part of that -- everyone can fast for spiritual strength. The other things we fast from would include all those things we have found that we like because they relieve our pain or give us comfort. These might include medications, cars, vitamins, sex, tobacco, money, drugs, sports, houses, alcohol, lands, and so forth. All the things that we like of the world must be sacrificed in order to connect with the Infinite.
Finding the best of the best is the goal of every person who is a child of God. And that means all. Through the Lord, Jesus Christ, we can have the greatest peace, joy, happiness, comfort, love, and connection available in the entire Universe! Anything else, drugs, sex, food, money, learning and so forth, is just less. Micah Ashby may feel good about finishing a race, but it isn't anywhere near the feeling of joy from the Lord. Almost getting there isn't the same as being there.
No comments:
Post a Comment