The key to a good life
The Reverend John Carswell of Cadzow Parish Church
I like listening to TED talks on Youtube. I watched one this morning called “What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness.”
It was talk based on a 75-year study of a group of men who are now well into their 90s. What researchers have found is that the key to a happy life is the quality of our relationships. It has nothing to do with money or success or fame.
Happiness, physical and mental health are founded on strong, loving and faithful relationships with people we know and love.
As Christians we believe that all our relationships are grounded on one in particular – our relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
It is in that relationship that we experience the kind of unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance that enables us to share those same gifts with the people who are closest to us, and even with those who are not close to us.
We can only love as much as we are loved, only forgive as much as we have been forgiven, only live for others as much as someone else has lived for us.
This is what God has done for us in His Son, our Saviour, and this is what God yearns to do in all our hearts, inviting us daily into that one loving relationship that makes all the others possible.
Jesus put it simply,“love the Lord your God with all your heart... and love your neighbour as yourself,”the key to a good life.
You can listen to the talk by going to Youtube and typing in“what makes a good life?”