A Higher Kind of Good
A very insightful, knowledgeable friend once told me that he believed that most Americans were content if they had a roof over their heads, food in the fridge, and a working bathroom; the quality of all three, or the funding for them, didn’t really matter much.
Years of experience with Americans of all backgrounds has led me to believe that my friend wasn’t completely wrong in his opinion. I don’t know what percentage of Americans would fall into this contentment group, but if those of us reading this blog are truly committed to pursuing the highest possible good in every situation then even one percent of our countrymen being content in such a manner is unacceptable!
If we accept the definition of Love as being an unrelenting contending for the highest possible good in every situation we must discard the possibility of contentment in any situation. I personally can’t imagine a time or place during my stay on this planet where I can afford to be content with the status of the world in general, or my life and relationships in particular. I hope that you are increasingly finding yourself in a mood of discontentment over the state of affairs on this planet, as well as in your personal relationships. We can be pleased that we are making progress in contending for the highest possible good in every situation, but alarm bells should ring in our hearts whenever we find ourselves feeling content.
Contentment almost always leads to complacency, and in virtually every aspect of life complacency leads to the steady erosion of hard-won gains in our struggle to pursue the highest possible good in every situation. In my novel, Tours, the enemy is relentless in his attacks. His purpose is the complete destruction of the force opposing his ultimate goal. In this aspect, the battle in Tours is a metaphor for life today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Our enemy feeds off of our contentment. When we are content with the status of our lives and relationships, we are losing ground to an enemy that seeks our ultimate destruction, which on this planet is achieved whenever we stop contending for the highest possible good in every situation.
I don’t know about you, but somewhere in the back of my mind I always thought that the day would come in life when the struggles would cease. I kept waiting for the time when work would be easy, or unnecessary if I somehow became wealthy. When that day came, I could then focus on spending more time with my wife, children, friends, and of course, God. That day has yet to come, and I strongly suspect that it will never arrive. In fact, I no longer want that day to arrive! I am learning that the glory in life does not come in standing triumphantly over conquered foes or problems, but rather in the battle against those forces arrayed against the highest possible good.
I strongly suspect that as the heroes of Tours such as Charles Martel, and his sons Peppin and Carloman, grew older and increasingly comfortable in their personal and public lives, they found themselves longing for the days when they stood shoulder to shoulder with their countrymen, fighting against evil foes seeking their destruction. In other words, as they looked back on their lives they didn’t see the highest points as those when they stood over a vanquished foe, because they learned that those enemies eventually recovered enough to threaten them again. No, I believe that as the years of their lives quickly passed by they thought back most fondly on those times when they were actually standing in the front line against the onslaught of evil and destruction.
My suggestion today is that we all reevaluate the status of our struggle against contentment with our lives. We need to consider where we stand this moment with our spouses, children, and our God. Are we still locked in mortal combat with the enemy who seeks to destroy us? Are our weapons sharpened and oiled? Do we even know where they are anymore? The ultimate message of Tours is that those who despise individual freedom, as well as personal growth and prosperity, will never, ever cease in their efforts to destroy those who cherish these values. The moment we step back to reflect on our victories and rest upon our laurels, the enemy takes a step forward and lifts his weapon.
The day will come when we will see this enemy totally defeated and destroyed, and the weapon of the Victor will be the Love that Always Seeks the Highest Possible Good! The question of whether we will witness this ultimate victory during our days on this planet is immaterial to the larger question of what we are doing NOW. Resist contentment because it is a powerful psychological weapon of the enemy who is seeking our destruction every day.
Yes, by now you have probably guessed the point of this posting: the struggle for the highest possible good in every situation will never cease until life on earth exists as it does in heaven. That may happen during the years of our lives on this planet, but history teaches us that many generations have believed they were the final one that would have to endure the struggle that life on earth is for all of us. So while we hope that we will see the physical return of Jesus to earth during our lives, we must accept the possibility we will continue to face our enemy on the same terms we have always faced him on. A good warrior is one who is always as prepared as possible for battle, and like it or not, you and I are the warriors of Christ in the battle against evil.
I suggest that we cherish the cook-out and croquet with our families as the moments of pure joy that they are, but keep your weapons close by for the inevitable assault by the enemy on everything we hold dear. Accept the fact that our contention for the highest possible good in all situations will probably be one that we will fight until our last breath on what I am now calling Battlefield Earth.
More to come………………………………………