December 22, 2014

The Life of Faith

As I describe a particular way of living, see how much it appeals to you.

In this way of living you seek a sense of balance and moderation. You avoid the extremes of gluttony and asceticism. Instead, you work and you rest. You have a smile on your face. You’re pleasant to be around.

In this way of living you’re not only balanced and pleasant to be around—you’re compassionate to those around you. You help those in need by giving financially and giving of yourself.

In this way of living you focus on what matters most. You recognize that life is hard, and that many choices and desires in life lead to suffering and disappointment. So rather than let things bother you, you adopt the attitude: It’s OK. Never mind. Don’t worry about things so much.

How does this way of living sound to you? Positive and appealing, something worthy of pursuing? The lifestyle I’ve just described is Buddhism.

Living about the time of Daniel, Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha, or “awakened one”) taught his followers an “eightfold path”: (1) right view, (2) right thought, (3) right speech, (4) right conduct, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right mindfulness, (8) right concentration. Even today, 2,500 years later, millions still follow the principles of Buddhism, including golfer Tiger Woods, who after his personal problems stated the need to get back to the Buddhism of his childhood.

So what do you think? Are the lifestyle traits on this list worthy in and of themselves? Sure they are. But here’s a question: Whom is this way of life all about? Whom is it utterly and completely about? It’s all about you. Why? Because in Buddhism you’re all alone in the universe. There’s no God. There’s no creator. There’s no salvation outside yourself.

Buddhism teaches that your effort—and your effort alone—determines your place in the next life, and the life after that. There are no thief-on-the-cross stories in Buddhism—no last-second salvation. There’s only a tally. Do enough good, and you come back as royalty. Do enough bad, and you come back as a beggar or an animal. The ultimate aim of Buddhism is not to come back at all. Because all life is suffering, the goal is not to live anymore. This state of nothingness is called nirvana. The Buddha, it is believed, entered nirvana after living 550 lives.

There’s an important difference between Eastern religions such as Buddhism and the faith we call Christianity. The difference is worship—the act of devotion directed not toward yourself but toward a deity. Worship is the reason for our existence. Our Scriptures put it this way: “Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Rev. 14:7).

I was reawakened to this while swimming in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand. It was a perfect vacation: water so blue, sand so soft, food so good, and family so sweet. So why, as I floated in those blue waters, did I still feel that nagging feeling of never quite being fulfilled?

I suddenly realized what was missing: worship. Quietly I began to sing: “ ‘Blessed be Your name, in the land that is plentiful, in the streams where abundance flows. . . . Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, blessed be the name of the Lord.’ ”*

Within seconds I felt completely different: a created being worshipping the Creator.

Whether you’re working, resting, serving, or swimming, worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.


* Matt Redman, “Blessed Be Your Name,” © 2000-2014, AZLyrics.com.

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