Nearer, My God, To Thee – Sunday, January 20, 1985
As we look around, we see people who measure their lives as failures, as drab, as small, and yet are they? In that rhythm of light and darkness which is our life, we wonder what has significance—what is the moment that will stay with our souls, cherished in memory, leaving us never quite the same?
How do we measure experience? It is a question that has always challenged humanity, and our answer may be one of the most important we make; for, if it is a faulty standard, we may bring ourselves misery through false choices. But if we can judge wisely, we will have not only peace today, but happiness forever.
Some value most their moments of triumph. Life is successful and meaningful to the degree it fills the hunger for personal conquest. Triumph is all important, and times that do not shine with this glory are dull to them.
Others gauge life’s experience by the pleasure they yield. It is the calm lake they like, not one where the tempest is raging. Frustration, obstacles or problems destroy their wellbeing. For the pleasure seekers, ill health or personal setbacks destroy life’s personal meaning.
And there are those who value life only to the degree it enhances their self-esteem. They like the days when they are strong and giving—when their worth is measured in how much they control.
All of these have some value in life’s aggregate; but, like anything of value, they must be carefully metered.
Life offers more than days of triumph, pleasure or self-esteem; and, if that is all we value, we shall despair. For life is a collection of all experiences—more than a race to see who comes in first, or a stage to show off our talents. It is our best chance in all of eternity at school, and all that God sends is intended for our education and growth.
If that were not true, how could we explain the rich variety of experience here? It may be that, when we view this life with eternal eyes, we may find our most significant moments, however hard or sad, have been those that brought us nearer to God, have been those that clarified our dependence on Him and our need for one another.
Those most unhappy here are those who expect of life what it was never meant to deliver. Using the right measure for experience may be the key to happy living—a measure with eternal perspective that always brings us “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”
January 20, 1985
Broadcast Number 2,892