WE DEMEAN OURSELVES IF WE DEFINE OURSELVES MATERIALISTICALLY

The way we think about ourselves becomes the way we feel about ourselves. If we think that we are no more than purposeless wet machine, it is not surprising that we feel this way.

·       According to [Gil] Dodgen, from his youth “[ I] believed that I was just a complex piece of biochemistry that came about by chance.” He still remembers the place he was standing at age seven when he came to the stark realization that his own life had no meaning or purpose. For the next thirty-six years he often contemplated suicide. After all, what difference would it make if he were dead rather than alive? Even though he never tried to kill himself, by his own account he was “cynical about life.” All this changed for him in 1994 when at age forty-three he converted to Christ. From that time forward he was filled with joy, recognizing that he was created for a purpose and his life had meaning. Never since that time has he contemplated suicide. Now he knows that his life—and the lives of others—is valuable. (Richard Weikart, "The Death of Humanity: And the Case for Life")

Christ dignifies life. Knowing His love and purpose for our lives, we are no longer a chance collection of molecules but a beloved person with eternal significance and a divine calling. What can be more edifying!