“There is a Place” Blog Series — Introduction.
Is it possible to know and live a life of peace and purity?
Many young people have experienced difficulty or failure. Many have issues with identity and purpose. At the same time, media content is increasingly intense, materialistic, violent, and sensual. The dependency on media makes the situation worse. One might call it a perfect storm, where the mixture of poor personal relationships, failure, and lots of media dependency creates conditions that often lead to troubled hearts.
In this environment, is there a place for a young man or woman to live peaceably, including peace in the heart, when the world seems hostile? The answer is yes, but it requires a commitment and a developing relationship with our Creator, the God of the Bible. This path is not new and not without difficulty, but taking it leads to peace, purpose, and eternal life that the world and its patterns cannot provide.
This blog series will break the topic down, especially for the young, because it is in those formative years when the conflicts seem acute, and unhealthy patterns of living are forming. Is there a place of safety? What about the added pressures of jobs and money for those a bit older, whether single or married, or in young families? Where is the place of peace and purity in a home where little ones can be raised? A biblical view of life and the Gospel go back to our identity (where we come from, what happened, and our intended purpose), which includes our intended relationship to our Creator. But how can we get there and live in it?
If the secular world’s universal teaching is true, then we came from something less than human that came from something non-human. In this case, there is no hope of weathering the perfect storm of media and relationship failure that affects so many because true and lasting purpose evaporates. The biblical view of life, however, is vastly different. This view has hope and the key to relationship with God and man. It also requires a change of heart and belief, which will be the subject of the next blog.
This blog is especially for young people. If you know anyone that might benefit from the series, please forward the link to this introductory blog.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” John 14:27 (ESV)
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27 (ESV)
