How To Truly Live

 Be yourself. Live your truth. Accept yourself exactly as you are. All these are some form of the 21st century religion of the self. Whether you are obese and practicing "body positivity", or you are a believer trying to justify what the bible calls sin, popular culture today is on your side. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find much push back even in the church. The truth is it might feel good for a while. You might feel more alive than you ever have. Unfortunately, it will not last. It is like a sugar high. Mow down a Slurpy and a King Size Snickers and your taste buds will thank you, but your stomach will probably complain shortly. You might ride high for an hour, but pretty soon you'll be asleep for 3 hours and feel off or tired for 3 days! Why is that? Because you're body and mind wasn't made for a selfish diet. It was made to respond best to healthier choices. Your life itself was made the same way by God. The self-centered life that lusts after strictly personal desires and rejects input or direction from authoritative sources like the bible will not thrive for the long haul. It will atrophy and ultimately disappoint you and those around you. But a life that practices radical obedience to God's expressed Will even when it doesn't make sense is built for the long haul. A life like that will ultimately be more gratifying to self, but also will make a much bigger difference in the lives of others. Jesus taught us a totally different way. He said, "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." If you're tempted by adultery, don't do it! Just walk away. If you're angry, try grace instead. If you want to get drunk, try getting on your knees. If you struggle with same sex attraction, try abstinence. If you feel like your a man trapped in a woman's body, try simply living as a man and trusting in the power of God. Go against the grain. Swim upstream. It will be hard at times. You will say to yourself, "This is impossible!" But keep going with enthusiasm and urgency. Jesus Himself said, if you do, you will truly live.