A Scottie’s purpose in life

If you watch my Scotties’ daily activities, or any dog for that matter, you will think their purpose in life is simply to eat, to play, and to sleep. Yet, if you pay closer attention, you find that dogs clearly have a deeper purpose to life.

Having descended from wolves, dogs carry a deep sense of purpose. They are all dedicated to protecting their pack and their territory. Modern dogs generally include the family they live with, and any close friends of the family who come to visit frequently, as part of their modern pack.

Many books and articles describe heroic deeds done by dogs who have saved family members, sometimes costing them their lives.

After living nearly forty years with Scottie packs, I would never underestimate my Scotties’ dedication to protecting what they see as their responsibilities.

Let’s turn to the purpose in life for humans. There does seem to be a collective, common human purpose.

By exploring other faiths or cultures one sees a few values — which are foundational for building purposes — that are common to the majority of societies. These include kindness, helping others, contributing to society, and leaving the world a better place. Most faiths believe in something greater and better than humanity.

Looking at the daily movements and actions of people may not validate the above list of values. As a matter of fact, eat, play, and sleep covers most of what we see people doing every day.

They may work, but that is just so they can do the other three things. In America, unless one is very poor or homeless, play is the driving force for making most people work. We live in a materialistic society. Many people don’t spend much time thinking about anything spiritual or deeper than just getting off work so they can go play with their toys.

If this brings true happiness, that’s great. But based upon the rate of drug and alcohol use, it seems possible that the toys’ joys are superficial and temporary. As people age, many start looking for more meaning in their lives.

Historical biographies show how, with aging, the lives of most rich or famous people change as they try to find more meaning, or sometimes even try to buy greater respectability. The famous steel baron Andrew Carnegie built libraries across America to help rebuild his ruthless reputation.

Today’s high-tech billionaires, some of whom were merciless on their climb to the top, now give billions to improve their names.

Besides giving away money, which keeps us locked in thinking about the material world, there has to be another approach to finding meaning in life.

You have undoubtedly heard the phrase “God is Love.” How well do you understand that? You have heard of Christianity. What does that really mean to you? Finding a full understanding of these two ideas is an excellent way to find a fulfilling meaning of life. You don’t have to go to any organization to get the answers; you can, but everything you need is inside your heart.

We are each divine spirit. God is our core, our soul. We have all hidden that soul under material thoughts of jobs, play, toys, and everything else. The material chase has taken the real meaning of life out of our lives. But it is there, and you can find it.

Real Christianity, the way it was taught by Jesus, boils down to one main thing, practicing the presence of God. Remember how Jesus left the disciples and spent many days in the wilderness before facing the ordeal that included crucifixion.

He didn’t take anything with him. He didn’t take books to read. He left to focus on the presence of God. He had to feel God’s force in his body. He had to deepen his understanding of God’s amazing love, good and power. And he had to possess that energy with the power and strength that would carry his material body through the crucifixion and on to resurrection.

You may ask, “How do I practice the presence of God?” The answer begins with thinking about all you know about God, then believing that God is the only true power in the universe. If you have read this column before, you have heard about the seven main aspects of God, including: God is Love, God is Life, God is Knowledge, God is Truth, God is Spirit, God is Soul, God is Principle. Take time to dig into these concepts, think about how they have applied or could apply to your life.

You don’t need to spend a lot of time with this at each sitting. You’re not trying to prepare yourself for crucifixion. You’re trying to find meaning for the rest of your life.

Use a session to begin looking at the natural world. Let the wonder and miracle of nature fill your heart with joy. God is joy. The one true God is not glum, dull, or angry. God can fill you with joy when you do things you love and help others find joy in their lives. With time, spending a few minutes each day thinking about God and his Glory, you begin to reach deep into your beautiful soul and find meaning and direction for your life.

From Jesus to Buddha, there have been divine spirits — remember you are divine spirit — who have offered a path filled with love, joy, and holiness. Jesus never told you to hide from life. Life is to be lived to the fullest. It is only through living with challenges and overcoming them that we can grow into better souls.

Discover human foundational values, returning to love and kindness. That is the way to fulfillment.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. — Matthew 6:33.