A Christian's End in Sight: My Contemplation of Verse 50 of the Tao Te Ching

Dr. Dyer's book is Change your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

Today, I am focusing on verse 50 of the Tao Te Ching:

Between birth and death,

three in ten are followers of life;

three in ten are followers of death.

And men just passing from birth to death

also number three in ten.

Why is this so?

Because they clutch to life

and cling to this passing world.

But there is one out of ten, they say, so sure of life

that tigers and wild bulls keep clear.

Weapons turn from him on the battlefield,

rhinoceroses have no place to horn him,

tigers find no place for claws,

and soldiers have no place to thrust their blades.

Why is this so?

Because he dwells in that place

where death cannot enter.

Realize your essence

and you will witness the end without ending.

Eternity--it's an abstract idea.  Do we fully understand it?  Do we believe in it?  What do religions say about living forever?  How do we define eternity?

According to Wikipedia, immortality is the ability to live forever.  Countless stories have been created with characters, who live forever.  Gods in mythology have been attributed with immortality, too.  Our fascination with life and death is never-ending.

The Bible tells us that we can live with Jesus forever.  The Bible prescribes how to attain everlasting life with the King of all Kings.  Just imagine what that would be like.  Living in the glory of God would be awesome.

Here's what I imagine: I visit with Jesus, walking and talking with Him.  I ask Him lots of questions.  I sit with Him, without uttering a word.  I live in a vibrant environment with wondrous surroundings akin to the Garden of Eden.

This verse of the Tao Te Ching explains that not everyone sees life in these terms.  There are those who are more concerned with the dying aspect of life.  That's pretty depressing.  Instead of seeing that God can protect your feet from being hurt, this type of person is dwelling on the next injury or illness.  What about trusting in God for protection?

I feel sad for those who hone in on the idea of no life after the death of the body.  They believe that once their body dies, that's it; there's no more life.  That's a sad type of existence--to believe that there is no more to the person after the death of the physical body.

We will witness the end without an ending.

The Bible tells us that death will not sting us.  We, who are believers in Christ, have had death defeated.  When Jesus sacrificed His life, He beat Death.  Once we fully understand this, we can rest assured that when the body dies, our spirit lives on.  Our spirit goes back to the origin--God the Father--until the great resurrection in which we will all have new bodies. 

Thanks for reading this entry about how a Christian truly sees his/her end.  

I appreciate you taking the time to read it.  

My dear readers, I've got some questions for you: How do you see life and death?  Do you believe in life after death?  Have you ever considered what happens when our physical bodies die?  Visit the websites above.  They give a better understanding of eternity and our fate with God on our side.  It's worth your time.  I promise.   

I pray that we all would seek wisdom from the Source of everything--Our Heavenly Father, God.  I pray that we would ask God for His help to experience a deep, loving relationship with Him.

May God bless you, my beloveds, with His wisdom and peace, in Jesus' name.  Amen!

This has been an entry for Wisdom Wednesdays.

I am currently drawing inspiration from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer's book and the 81 verses of the Chinese wisdom book the Tao Te Ching.