The Worth of Suffering in a Culture of Death

"Quality of Life" seems to be the driving force of the public debate today on whether we should live or die. We console ourselves when a loved one passes away by saying their quality of life was very poor. Satisfying our consciences and easing our pain.

It is easy to understand that sometimes we must allow "nature" to take its course. "Heroic medicine" often keeps people "technically" alive when in fact they have turned into some kind of preserved Zombie. Some decisions in this modern technologically advanced age can be quite painful.

But does the "Quality of Life" apply? Some say they would not want to live and be a burden if they ever became severely disabled. Have we become so calloused to the meaning of life that we believe we are our own Sovereign? Is there no God who gives worth without the addition of human input? Does our station in this life determine human dignity?

I was priviledged and honored to serve my fellow human being at 4:00AM yesterday morning. The vomit, the holding over the famous toilet bowl, the encouraging one to endure, the cleanup, the stinky messy cleanup that is, and the loss of sleep were a blessing in disguise. I do not know the purpose of this suffering or poor quality of life that my daughter had, but I am grateful I was able to share in it.

It is in the dark times of suffering, we truly find the worth that God has given to His creatures. Christians have been known to suffer for Christ, even unto death. Historically speaking, the more Christians have been killed for the faith, the more Christianity spread. It was during the expansion throughout North Africa that the muslims came to understand this. They began to stop killing Christians and instead made them suffer by not allowing them to have jobs or buy and sell, and ect.. Christianity declined rapidly.

Point is, the true test of life is whether we will continually and habitually do that which God calls for us to do. Feeding and suffering with a woman in Florida is far more noble.