Enduring to Exist Eternally

Daily Post: Survive

I have never previously been a big fan of the current trend of “reality” TV.  Big Brother, the Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, and Survivor were not part of my television regimine.  Over the past twelve months I’ve watched far more of these shows than in past years, but have to say that I’m still not comfortable with the format.  For the most part, each of these shows becomes at some stage in the program, nothing more than a popularity contest.  Sure, some contain at least an element of skill sets, pitted against the other “contestants.”  What I find most difficult is dealing with those shows which have “scheming deceit” as a primary element determining the winner.

What are we teaching the young people of our world, when a person can say “100% on your team” directly to another person’s face, all the while knowing it is nothing but 100% fictitious lies?  Is this really what we want our kids thinking is normal relationship communication?  Is our world really this far out of whack?

Maybe it is just my age, yes I’m over 60 now, but I don’t remember a time in my pre-adult years when someone would ever blatantly tell me it’s ok to lie.  Even worse, the scheming, conniving mindset of the players on most of these shows, is driven by money.  It is a game, and the winner of the game, in the end gains a financial reward for being the best at crafting his speech to suit his/her agenda, behaving in unconscionable ways, sometimes with a great deal of malice and forethought.  But it makes for great ratings, and more commercial advertising for the media, so who cares right?

It seems at times to me that I must simply endure the incredible nonsense around me, just to continue my journey toward existing eternally.  I know and believe with all my soul, that this world was not designed to operate on the principles of deceitful scheming and lies.  I know and believe that the designers of these “games” or “programs” have been deceived by the Father of Lies.  It is so clear that the motivation to pursue money, and do whatever it takes to win, comes not from God, but from the Deceiver.  But I must endure these shows here and now, because mine is an eternal existence.

The image above is of a man in a wilderness setting finding life through the water captured by this leaf.  What a great illustration of the free gift of life, offered to us in the Living Water.  One day Jesus sat down at a well and to have a conversation with a woman who was a survivor.  She had several past husbands, and the current live-in wasn’t her husband at all.   This was disclosed to her by Jesus to demonstrate that He knew things about her without her having to verbalize them.  Because they were at this well, naturally the conversation centered on water.  Jesus suggested that he could offer her a water that would quench her thirst for eternity.

Was Jesus just playing games?  Was He being deceitful so He could use this woman in some way?  No.  Truth for many folks truly is stranger than fiction at times, and this certainly sounded strange to her.  Did this woman want this water.  Sure.  She said so, in clear and concise words, since she was tired of coming to that same old well every day for water.  Watch the truth emerge from Jesus’ next statement:

John 4:14
… whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

Surviving this life, and not just this one, but into the next one in eternity, requries that we take a long, deep drink from the well of living water.  At some point we have to grow up and learn that it isn’t always about money, power, clothes, cars, portfolios, or influence.  Eternity isn’t about winning some popularity contest.  Your eternal destination is based on your responses to the clear and vibrant life giving water offered by Jesus Christ Himself.

John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life; and not one comes to the Father but through me.

If you want to survive this world’s mess, then this verse is something you can take to the bank – 100%