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The Essence Of Life

By Marfo Hussain
Touch Of Thoughts The Essence Of Life
OCT 19, 2015 LISTEN

Sometimes our thoughts, opinions and feelings urge human minds to make gloomy conclusions. They say God brought us to the surface of the earth to feel pains, to meet anxieties. This statement of theirs coincides with their situations of life –poverty, ailments, failure, disappointments among others. Sometimes it is due to the love and patience they have for their Creator, which hesitates or even stops them from their life desires. With this, even the rich is affected, businesses are collapsed, dreams are shattered, friends and families are no more, beloved ones die and are missed forever, lost hopes, sickness here and there, failed financial status and above all, total rejection on the face of humanity.

In some other part of the world, people are termed as “living dead” because troubles crop not in singular terms, but in multiple terms. No day is without a gun-shot or a bomb explosion. Innocent blood flows to a distance whilst the guilty stay unhurt. They are also denied shelter, security and even personal properties. Peace is nothing to talk about. Some die in hunger and thirst. Indeed, one can experience a piece of the world’s bitterness as I say, when one hasten to any hospital ward which serves as the last homes for the rest of thousands of people’s lives and a place where others receive their last breath, even at their tender ages. Man therefore never stop crying and lamenting, if only alive. They never stop accusing nature for they even lack their daily bread –pains! Is this the essence of life?

It is worthy moreover that considering the world’s overwhelming man activities, one can never be blamed for saying that it is a world of competition, in fact, very intense competition. Why because now almost everyone seems to be running in a higher rate of speed, wishing to aspire and acquire more than before. After all that he has acquired, he is still discontent after noticing the one beside him has acquired much more than he has. He fights to get the same then later strives to reach extra miles. Even after that, struggle to go further, for other are still ahead of him. This completion is so much high that the manner through which one gets to the top is something not well thought-out. It is amazing that this race does not even exclude the younger ones. They fight for much money, expensive cars and houses, honour, popularity, and many others. People are forcefully insane and are made to eat from the open dump all because of worldly assets.

Souls of human beings are exchanged for any of these possessions. Not all, truth is a thing of the past, even to some so-called pastors and prophets. Some of these have changed the church to be business centres and companies where you can find employees and employers, including managers, senior accountants, treasures, secretaries and other staff members. To some of them, a lie is the weapon to gain wealth, hence false prophesies. In the sense of this unhealthy rivalry worldwide, even the richest now see themselves as the poorest when they compare themselves to others. What then should the poor ones consider themselves as? I beg to ask.

Nations all around the world are of no exception in this tough world competition. Although there are powerful countries, all of these nations including others in the general sense never stop wrestling to turn their worlds around. There is high completion here, where these powerful countries continue to fight to be more powerful and endlessly keep other infantile countries under still subservience.

Production of goods and services is a different thing altogether. Each country wants to emerge with the newest and outmost fashionable fabrics, very unique among others. Political leaders in nations and chiefs in some localities till date seek to expand their territories in power and to acquire further wealth and so on and so forth. Upon all these it is fascinating to realise that many people still press to acquire when they do not own any mean of doing so. They are compelled to do that because they simply see it as “the order of the day”. This competitive world has made almost everything look very cumbersome in appearance; nothing seems to please anyone anymore. Does this suits the real essence of life?

Others proclaim that service to the Supreme Being (God) is the exact and ultimate essence of life. In fact, religion is amazingly prevalent in the world’s events. It seems to take its origin right from the onset of creation when people toiled bloodily to make certain religious groups stand firm. The religion of God too is said to have currently reached the extreme end of the world. Additionally, with time people have come to the realization that it is more appropriate some sorts of beliefs and practices are aborted whilst others are substituted.

To these ones, this change really suits the wish of God or stated differently what He wants from us. Due to that there different values and measure carried out in diverse ways. Followers of certain faith announce the superiority of their faith, they underrate others and criticise people’s acts of worship. Moreover, Great people really spared their time in research in religions and even eventually emerged with new subdivisions of some religions. For example, Martin Luther King out of his research emerged with Protestantism as different form of Christian religion.

Likewise, the Creator sent down to earth many prophets to preach the gospel at every corner of the world. Prophet Mohammed SAW in Islam and Jesus Christ are among the predominant ones. Christians even believe the death of Jesus was as for the service of God. More so there are countless number of priests, scholars in Islam and evangelists who find themselves in the realm of religion –the worship of God. The worship of God is also a very common word on the lips of many persons and spiral around virtually everyone. My big question therefore is that if this is the plain fact that life is meant for the service of God, then why wholeheartedly, devoted and ordained men of God die?

Those could be the best of all believers and worshipers and the best flock of God’s appraisers; those who could give God kind of praise with purity, not with stains like what happens today. I strongly believe that as compared to these devoted ones, most praises of today stay valid only with the mercy of God; and most of today’s prayers are considered prior to His grace. Even the worst deeds of ours are enough to have ended the very existence of this world.

One is however not totally out of context when he concludes that life is made to obtain service from God instead. Why because now everyone pray, praying to who and for what? To God, wanting more and despondently accusing Him as well. In spite of all these, we keep on with what He dislike –sin, both closed and uncovered. Rains pour on our seedlings with no cost. We acquire numerous and unexpected favours from nowhere, you and I still hold our breath and perhaps wealth. We keep enjoying unknown origin and destinations of lovely breeze, many others.

No one cooks or fetches for God but He does all these for us. When we do not do any of these and further deny His wishes, then I ask that are we meant to serve God or to obtain the service of God? Let’s see, many people all around the world consider our daily activities such as buying and selling, education, living in big mansions, driving in latest cars, marrying and giving birth, eating the choicest of delicacies every day, sleeping, acquiring life needs, falling and rising, going up and down and finally into the grave as the definition of life. They further consider that as the main essence of life and that life is meant for nothing else. Of course when we cast our eyes around these are exactly what we see –big businesses; people are too busy to acquire profit to continue with the same businesses (transaction) and even expand and employ more workers to whom he shall pay wages and salaries.

They busily sit in their air-conditioned offices, writing, typing, making and receiving great telephone calls. They are seen in their luxurious private vehicles as next to their offices. Their comfortable homes are said to be their final place of settlement. Spending of weekends of and holidays is a different planned issue altogether. Just as the indigents, he gets married and gives birth to as many children as affordable. He gets up and starts roaming around the next day. Strength, hope and other necessities needed to embark on all these activities are given by nature. Meanwhile attending to the worship centres is something optional; largely because it is considered as not the key essence of life.

Essentially, other some people too believe that our existence is to enjoy life, just like that, due to God’s generosity. They therefore build in their minds the spirit of profound pleasure. Consequently, all sorts of deviant behaviours are put forth, approaches to enjoying life. Now prostitution, homosexuality, drinking and smoking, immoral sexual activities have become part of the world life. If this actually serves the essence of life, then should God be blamed for this dismantled, yet living world? Or is it that we have abused the gift of God? Above all over millions of people’s conscience marks them negatively about the idea that the power over delight is our mission to be accomplished in life.

These people may have a unique solution –challenge to nature. People believe, with critical and so-called empirical analysis that the challenge between man and nature is a key, if not the main essence of life. True, the apparent difference between nature and man can never be underestimated. The world started as the one with trees, water, land surface, animals, human beings and stones. The gift of God has almost been attributed to the brain of man which has unimaginably developed and has resulted to a stage where there has been absolute world change –tracing from the close start of creation up to date.

Although there is still an unimaginable and unbreakable gab between the distinctive works of nature and that of man, advents of man are up to date so much amazing. Sole responsibilities of nature are currently being shared with man; and even effort is made to overshadow nature, but if only that’s possible. Now the sky accommodates countless number of satellites –natural home for artificial creatures.

People believe and have proven with the supposed scientific methods that it is the work of man that brings forth rain, not by nature. Several other natural phenomena have been attributed to the understanding and explanations of man. This situation commenced many centuries ago and getting to alarming stage to the extent man tries to recreate his own image –can you imagine! Man is like trying hard to take control the rule of the world.

Johannes Gutenberg and Benjamin Franklin are termed as prominent men of invention in history. These they invent do greater works than what multiples of men can do. No wonder some people still doubt the exact existence of God. In some Western countries, Spain to be precise, males are operated to be females, and vice versa within twenty-four hours or less. Likewise men, women natural way of reproducing is now alternated. The words of God are no more defined as divine revelation but the ones by man’s own creativity to defeat people’s idea; perhaps from the better ways of living. All these have contributed significantly to placing God’s glory far away. Clear judgement is left in the arms of my readers to render, whether or not this really connotes the motive behind life.

Considerably, some part of the world in some other point in life, circumstances make people disabled, inactive and make them less important in the presence of others. Reasonably because looking at the work of nature, it looks like some people were meant to be poor and others, meant to be wealthy. Due to this disliking state of nature, people are energised to say that nature has been unfair to them, that nature dislike them, and never stop asking nature why at all their existence on earth. It is incredible to notice that they have lived to practically worship their fellow brothers and sisters for long. They act as ‘slaves’ for number of years and do not know when and how this trauma of theirs will end, if not the case of death.

Many years ago, there were a lot stepping toes by others seeking to gain control over others. Many sorts of depression took place. Now it is widely observed as a thing of the past, but in general view, it is the reverse, although it does not hold its name as of antiquity –slave. Many people find themselves in a very severe and hectic but very less beneficial works for the sake of the well-being of themselves and other people.

Now older poor men subdue to the will of young but wealthy boys and girls. Failure to do so can call for dismissal, assault and even brutalities. At times they seem to cease to be human beings in the midst of kings and queens and heads of states. They hardly speak for they feel absolutely inferior and obsolete. These poor ones rely heavily on people for what they will eat and wear, where they will sleep and turn to when in need. This trend can be traced biblically that God made it so intentionally in order to make His glory prevail. If our existence to illustrate God’s glory alone corresponds to nature’s mission of life, then we have gotten very less or nothing at all to do. We simply have to enjoy our poverty or wealth and our mission of live will be accomplished. Isn’t that interesting?

So you see, life by itself is made up of only four letters words but has a very intense depth. It’s like a giant tree, made up of many branches and sub-braches. Some branches look very thick; others are very thin, and with others, medium sizes. Each of these branches are so strange that they look very unfamiliar to each other, far from resemblance, loss of common identity and each of them deny their common origin –the soil, and their solid foundation –the root, which hold them firm to the ground. Certainly, the essence of life is said to have been fragmented into many more segments suiting one’s own self-imagination. Despite these enormous and diverse perceptions and individualistic mind-set, it is still very paramount quick judgement is never put unto anyone, whether good or bad, for we are all one way or the other guilty.

The essence of life is unspecified to everyone but the truth is one –the strong hold and probably the practice of what one sees right determines what one reaps. We must appeal to the All-knowing Creator to have mercy upon us and forgive us our ignorance and transgression, grant us longer lives, protect us and make our deaths peaceful ones which may serve as a perfect way of transmission from this undefined living in the world; the world that essentially has less to offer. Don’t forget, our essence of living is not only fighting to know the essence of life, but to know and fight to fulfil it as well. Note and overcome it for good.

BY MARFO HUSSAIN YUSIF |UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA | ALUMNI OF FAMOUS AMASS | [email protected] | +23367673964 | FACEBOOK.COM/HUSSAINWRITES | ©FEBRUARY 2015, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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