Now that I am in my early 70's I have often wondered how my life would have turned out without Jesus. I know this is impossible to understand fully, so I compared two average life accomplishments, one with Christ and one without.
The following are my findings:
### With Christ (Saved)
1. **Inner Peace**: My Faith in Christ has acted like an anchor, providing tranquility amid trials. Through my PTSD, Alcoholism, Cancer journey, being on Oxygen and a Feeding tube, and any other struggles, the peace that surpasses all understanding has been a constant comfort.
2. **Purpose and Direction**: My years in Ministry and Counseling have been deeply rooted in Biblical Principles, giving me a clear roadmap. Every conversation and every counseling session has been an opportunity to glorify God and share His love.
3. **Community**: A vibrant church family offers more than just social interactions; it provides a platform for Spiritual growth, accountability, and support. This kind of depth in relationships is hard to find elsewhere.
4. **Moral Framework**: Christian values are my moral and ethical guideposts. This framework has provided consistency and integrity in my Counsel on all topics, including Addiction, Abuse, and Relationships.
5. **Eternal Perspective**: As I have moved further into my later years, the hope of Eternal Life has eliminated the fear that often accompanies aging and mortality.
6. **Legacy**: My ministry has the dual benefit of serving immediate needs and building Eternal value. Whether I counsel someone through a struggle with Addiction or Temptation, the results have Earthly and Heavenly implications.
7. **Conflict Resolution**: Biblical Principles like Forgiveness and turning the other Cheek are not just theories but practical tools to resolve conflicts in my personal life and my role as a Counselor.
8. **Holistic Well-being**: Faith often contributes to mental resilience. My Spiritual strength has added a layer of fortitude in my battles with Physical ailments, undoubtedly making them easier to bear.
### Without Christ (Unsaved)
1. **Existential Questions**: Navigating life's challenges without believing in Jesus would have pushed me towards Philosophy or other intellectual pursuits for answers that cannot provide the emotional or Spiritual satisfaction I seek.
2. **Moral Relativism**: Ethical dilemmas, especially within the scope of my Counseling topics like Abuse and Relationships, would have been approached from a Secular or Humanistic perspective, resulting in varying standards over time.
3. **Loneliness**: Though community can be built in multiple ways, the absence of a Church family makes life's challenges feel even heavier to bear alone or with less Spiritually intimate relationships.
4. **Legacy Concerns**: My work in Counseling and Life Guidance would still be impactful but lack the sense of Eternal Significance, shifting focus toward more worldly metrics like Social influence or Financial success.
5. **Coping Mechanisms**: Instead of Spiritual Solace, I would have turned to "Alternative Coping Methods,"" like therapy, medication, or even harmful vices—to manage stressors like PTSD or Health concerns without integrating Biblical Principles into my Medically Diagnosed Treatment Plans.
6. **Lack of Ultimate Accountability**: My actions and decisions would be based on personal or societal standards, which cannot offer the same level of Moral accountability as a belief in Divine Judgment or Grace.
7. **Stress and Anxiety**: Life's challenges, from health to relational conflict, would, without a doubt, be more overwhelming without the buffer of Faith to absorb some Emotional and Psychological blows.
8. **Transient Satisfaction**: Success and failure carry immediate weight but do not offer any lasting sense of fulfillment, leading to a cycle of highs and lows without a grounding force.
While the points for each life path are generalized, they nonetheless offer a conceptual framework for the kind of life one could lead under either paradigm.
Given my role in Ministering and Counseling, my relationship with Christ is central to my personal life, Professional Ethos, and impact on others.
* Ethos, an ancient Greek word meaning "character,” is a rhetorical or written technique that appeals to an audience or reader's" ethics.