Sinking sand or stable ground

People will try to achieve self-validation through being the best mom, or a superior athlete, or being at the top of their field. Some will feel valuable as a person for things as shallow as beauty or having the best stamp collection in town. People will work hard and sacrifice many things to earn a sense of value and purpose in life. What happens though to the mom's sense of value when her kids turn out badly, or the beauty queen when she loses her beauty? None of these things are wrong in themselves but if they become the basis of their self worth their identity is built on sinking sand. They may not fall apart like many do, but may rebuild their sense of value on some other unstable foundation. Why does humanity work so hard to achieve a sense of value? What has caused this sense of emptiness? Should not people work from a secure sense of value instead of working to achieve value?

Religion seen as a straightjacket

Religion is seen as a straightjacket to many and I would agree. There is a lifetime of demands and rules that religions require in order for a person to win god's favor. No one is capable of keeping all of these demands so they are full of guilt and shame. Those who are not religious also wear a similar straightjacket. The non-religious have just as many rules and demands they must satisfy to gain self-validation and a sense of purpose as the religious do. If the irreligious are to be validated as people of worth they must satisfy the demand of self as well as those socially demanded of them. These rules are set in stone and when they falter in fulfilling them they feel guilt and shame. If they completely fail even through no fault of their own they may perceive that their existence is meaningless and lose their will to live. All of us want to feel successful in life and that our life has meaning. Why are human beings so empty that they feel the only way their life matters is if they fulfill some standard of outward achievements or works? Do people have intrinsic value even when they are unable to give back to society? If so, what gives humanity value over other animals?

 

Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace (p. 19):

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace.

And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.

And from pp. 22-23:

Pharisee-type believers unconsciously think they have earned God's blessing through their behavior.

Guilt-laden believers are quite sure they have forfeited God's blessing through their lack of discipline or their disobedience.

Both have forgotten the meaning of grace because they have moved away from the gospel and have slipped into a performance relationship with God.

HT: Tullian