Sermon On Existentialism

Jagadish "Jaggi" Vasudev, better known as Sadhguru, an Indian yoga guru and proponent of spirituality once remarked: "Your thoughts and emotions are of no existential consequence. They are your creation - you could make them any way you want." Galatians 5:16-21 reminds us: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Existentialism is defined as the philosophical belief that each person in life is responsible for creating their own individual purpose and meaning. It focuses on the subjective experience of thinking, feeling and acting. To an extent, everyone in life has some control as to how they lead their life. However, people are susceptible to external pressures and temptation that may challenge that standard. Psalm 8 states: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Life presents constant choices in our individual paths we wish to follow, if we heed the guidance and suggestions from God as given in the Bible, think and act accordingly, we are in a much better position to strive for a more perfect life. Romans 8:5-8 confirms: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Katharine Hepburn the famous actress once remarked: “Kindness is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return.” Genesis 1:20 confirms: And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

For many, life continues on a daily basis without one ever knowing what will come next. When we wake, we may have no idea what is in store for us for the rest of the day. Will it be good? will it be bad? will something interesting happen? or will it just be a normal day occurring without incident? If we did have the foresight to know in advance, we may feel discouraged from ever setting foot out of bed, it may feel so much simpler and far more agreeable to just roll over, pull the bedding over our heads and just snuggle down until the following morning.

Susan was a twelve-year-old girl who had a love of animals from an early age with the desire to go to college and study to become a Veterinary Surgeon when she attained school leaving age. It was 08:10 on a wet morning and she had just returned from her daily morning paper round. As usual, she parked her bike in the family garage. As she exited, she pressed the electronic push-button to close the garage doors but, as she walked round to the front door of the house, she noticed a young bird nestling under the hedge in the front garden. It appeared to be in a state of disarray and somewhat traumatized. She approached it cautiously, the bird flapped its wings a few times but refused to fly off. She went indoors and spoke to her mother. She informed her that she had seen a young bird in the front garden which had refrained from flying away as she approached it. There was obviously some sort of problem and it appeared to be suffering from discomfiture.