The Authors’ lounge believes that The Meaning of Life is different than most books about life in that it is not overly concerned about telling you “what” you should do to live a good life. The author is more concerned with “how” and “why” you do things you do in life to be happy.
You can choose to do whatever you want to do in life. Afterall, GOD will forgive you for any transgression you do except suicide. And that is only because you cannot ask for forgiveness if you are dead. But once you figure out how and why you should do something figuring “what” to do is only a matter of application.
“What” is the specific task or action to be performed. “How” is the manner of which way you perform that specific task or action. And “why” is your motivation to perform a specific task or action.
But before you learn what to do in life you must, first, learn how to make sacrifices. This is no more evident than in chapter 3: “The Moral of this Story.” The author points out that GOD was the first parent and that Adam & Eve were his first born. The forbidden fruit represented Adam & Eve’s sacrifice. He told Adam & Eve that they could freely enjoy everything in the Garden of Eden except the forbidden fruit. This is important because you cannot learn obedience without first learning how to make sacrifices in one’s life. And this sacrifice must not be viewed as a hindrance or a burden. You must be free to make a choice.
True sacrifice, much like wisdom, must be acquired and appreciated over time rather than taught. What would you be willing to give up in order to live in GOD’s house? Adam & Eve were not ready to eat from the tree of wisdom- they were too young! They may have been their full adult size, but you would not teach a PHD’s lesson plan to a first grader? Because even if he could understand it you would probably ruin him for life. Now, before Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit there was no death, no Hell, and no sin. After they ate the forbidden fruit GOD knew He had to come up with another way to teach them how to make sacrifices. The Authors’ lounge recognizes, here, that the author contends that GOD was not as much punishing his kids as teaching them how to make sacrifices in life. He told Adam that only he was to eat all of the fruit from the tree of wisdom and He told Eve to bare the children and obey her husband. So, God sent one to school and the other to work; and this is the best way to teach how to make sacrifices. Just punishing has been proven to be the least effective way to teach sacrifice.
Why would GOD choose the least effective method to teach his kids?
GOD has two basic rules to live in His house (and they have pretty much not change from the beginning). Number 1) admit that you are not perfect or that you are a sinner and be willing to ask for forgiveness when you make your mistakes. And number 2) agree to follow Him unconditionally or do not listen to other people, namely, Satan. And therefore, Adam & Eve, also, had to leave the Garden of Eden. It is through sacrifice we learn “how” to use and take care of that which GOD has freely and abundantly given us. What should motivate us is the opportunity to be productive, happy, and content human beings. With all do respect to GOD, to our families, and to each other.
The Authors’ lounge recognizes that The Meaning of Life is a book about life that does not concern itself too much with what to do; but rather how and why you should do things to live a good life. Furthermore, the book points out that it is through sacrifice that we learn how and why we should do things in life to be happy and content. And this sacrifice should not be viewed as a hinderance or a burden. GOD does not want us to feel deprived in any way and wants us all to be happy and content.
So, what we must decide is what are we willing to sacrifice to live in GOD’s house? What is your forbidden fruit? And remember there is a time and a place for just about everything. None of us are perfect and GOD will forgive you for just about anything- all you must do is ask and He will accept you if you accept Him. www.gfriersonthemeaningoflife.com.
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