Afterlife (Endings)

by David Turell , Friday, January 11, 2013, 05:26 (4335 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained


> Secondly, I think that, as David pointed out(and this may be a source of misunderstanding between he and I) basing a system of belief on an extrinsic reward for good behavior is childlike and ultimately noneffective. For myself, I do not have faith because of something I might get at the end of all things. I have faith despite what I might get at the end of all things. I have faith out of love and appreciation for all of the wonderful gifts in my life. If all I received for that faith were this one life, that would be sufficient, and every moment of it is a precious gift that I treasure. If I died this very instant, and all of my beliefs about the future never came to pass, I would still be 100% satisfied with my life. Every trial makes me appreciate the good things that much more. So the maturity of my own faith is that I do not require any rewards, because living according to my faith IS the reward. Further, just as I would show my appreciation to a friend that gave me a wonderful gift, I try to show my appreciation to God for giving me a gift far more precious than anything anyone else could ever give me. Since I have absolutely nothing of material value that I could give which he does not posess, I give the only things that are truly mine to give: my heart, mind, time, and attention. And, just like sending loving thoughts to a loved one is not enough to let them know you appreciate them, I try and demonstrate that love through my actions. -
Beautiful expression of what it is all about.