Is this good advice?

Question

someone asked me why life was worth living...I said..

Life is so worth it to live.
I know how you feel though.
Sometimes I have those days where I feel like life just sucks and I don't know why I am here. But you should treasure every SINGLE day you live. Life is an adventure. I don't know if you are religious or not but life is a gift from God and you need to love that gift and use it the best you can. Think about all the people that want to live so bad but can't. Think about the people that have cancer and die. Or all the other diseases. You have no idea how lucky you are to be able to see, walk, hear, be free, say what you want, do what you want and practice the religions you want. You have no idea how your life is near perfection compared to others. Sometimes people may bring you down because they are assholes and they either are jealous or they have such a low self-confidence level that the only way they can feel better is by hurting them.

(not enough room...continued)

but you know what you don't need to listen to them. The only opinions that matter are the ones you have of yourself and Jesus Christ's. He is the ONLY one who can judge you. Nobody else is here to tell you who you are or what you are or can be. In the end Jesus will be the one admitting you to Heaven not some dumb person that you know now. Don't let people bring you down. Learn to appreciate life. Get confidence. Stop caring what other people think. Trust me that's the only way you will be happy. Find out who your true friends are and stick with them.

Answer 1

Life is definitely worth living, I like your advice, God is the judge, The Bible says that we can have an abundant life if we serve the Lord, not anybody else, Christ is our Saviour, He died for us on the Cross at Calvery, I have never had anybody die for me before, Jesus is my Lord, and I am not ashamed of that, when I get a chance I tell people about Jesus, some may not agree but the Bible is the truth, If we will just turn our lives over to Him He will take care of us.

Answer 2

Such advice is meant well, but it's not what I would want or need if I were on the receiving end.
Here's the problems with that particular advice: first, it's a sales pitch for a particular religious or spiritual viewpoint. You can say it's a soft sell if you like, but it's still tainted by the fact that it "includes" a sales pitch. That's not only in poor taste, but for some people (like mee) it would seem condescending. The other major problem, as CST mentioned, is that the advice doesn't offer any genuine empathy. It's just a directive: realize this! know this! now, feel different! Yuck.

When someone is suffering, they may not really need your well-meant platitudes. Maybe what they really need is a shoulder to cry on or a space in which to shout and get angry. They need your simple attention (which is not the same as catering or selling). You can express your concern, but they don't need your particular world-view (even if you think yours is the "right" one).

Still, I sense that you really were trying hard. Sometimes life is just hard, and there is no way out. And that's the real gift. To appreciate that life can really suck sometimes, and that despite that we can be caring without pre-condition, without expectation that someone will see things from your point-of-view. People who suffer usually don't see things the way you do. And they shouldn't be made to feel that they should. Sometimes the giver of advice needs a helping hand, too! I hope this didn't come across too harshly. But since you asked honestly (and that was nice), I'm trying to provide an honest response. We're all learning.

Answer 3

Your advice is indeed Truth enough, provided you "walk the talk" in terms of having the Presence of the Lord with you ("a personal relationship with Jesus" is how some Christians term it).

In such clarity, then, one loves God completely, colleague as Self (for Self is realized within the greater sphere of "loving God completely," as "letting this Mind abide, which was also in Christ Jesus"), and as Christ Jesus, Truth, loves.

Nb that in a dyadic conversation with perhaps an unbeliever, one's "collegiality" is a) of the Law b) of the relationship, which latter is person-person, not Christian-Christian.

Hence, while it is well to place the "good news" as Way for such people, it is well to do so in a way which is both loving and truthful. Hence, some people, questioning why "life is worth living (existentially experiencing)," will appreciate what you, as a Christian, are able to demonstrate as Love in action.

Others may be receptive more to your kind or cheerful energy, a kind of friendly encouragement in a life that's quite burdened or complex, and not care too much about any "seeds" you may be offering. A simple Gospel message suffices, always with some reference source (a phone number, an organization) which they may turn to later.

If you are interesting in what some contemporary licensed counselors in the Christian tradition have to say and offer, 1-800-232-6459 http://www.family.org is great, as is 1-800-525-LOVE http://www.klove.com

C. S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce," Martha Beck's "Expecting Adam," Dr. Huang's "When Invisible Children Sing," David Wheaton's "University of Destruction," Reverend Richard Wurmbrand's "Tortured for Christ," Father Seraphim Rose's "Nihilism," Dr. George M. Lamsa's "The Modern New Testament from Aramaic," "Ted Flynn's "Hope of the Wicked," Reverend Clarence Kelly's "Conspiracy against God and Man," John Loftus' "The Secret War against the Jews," Joseph Douglass' "Betrayed" and "Red Cocaine," John Taylor Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education," and Soon Ok Lee's "Eyes of the Tailless Animals" are some excellent testimonies which may be lent or recommended to friends. These authors and volumes are lesser-encountered in secular life, so kindly consider making a note of them. As you likely know, the Christian or spiritual position is one side of the "culture war" in America, with the other position basically being Godless, even dogmatically denying any sensibility and reality beyond a materialistically-interpreted version of one's physical senses ("waxing gross" in Biblical terms).

cordially,

j.

Answer 4

Well, I would have advised this:
I personally believe we chart the life we come into, and we have to live out that chart and fulfill our purpose here. We are all here for a reason, I firmly believe that. Life is not always easy, in fact, ask just about anyone and they will tell you they have had or are having a hard time. But without struggle, how could we develop compassion and understanding? Without poverty, how could we develop our sense of humanity? Life is what is, and I believe that at any given moment, the universe is unfolding exactly as it should be, and no matter what page we are on in life, we shouldn't close the book until we have wrote the last chapter. Just my two cents.

Answer 5

I'm not a big fan of that advice. When I'm feeling down, I don't like people attacking the legitimacy of my sadness. It shows a real lack of empathy. This sounds like advice given by someone who doesn't quite understand sadness, either because they haven't experienced it or because they have had deep issues with it that they haven't quite faced. It sounds more like they're trying to sell you on their religion than make you feel better.

I mean, it's important to be reminded that life is worth living, but not in a way that tries to guilt you into feeling like you have no right to feel sad. You do. However much worse someone else might have it, we all feel legitimately sad sometimes, and depression happens quite often to people who look to the objective eye like they should have every reason to be happy.