Is Your Life Yours Alone to Live?

“THREE Nightmares.” That was the title of an article that appeared this past April in a popular monthly magazine, describing the wretched results of trifling with drugs. One of the nightmares involved a young woman whose drug addiction landed her in a hospital for psychiatric treatment. Another nightmare was experienced by a young man who under influence of drugs gouged out both of his eyes. And the third nightmare was the experience of a young man who committed suicide by means of a stick of dynamite. These three young folks all had the same philosophy: I can do as I please. My life is mine alone to live.

This independent spirit is abroad today as never before. Lawlessness is rampant and moral values are being watered down to the vanishing point. Ever so many acknowledge no obligation to either God or their fellowman. Like the ancient Epicureans, they make the pursuit of pleasure their chief aim in life. But the pursuit of pleasure at times exacts a terrible price, even as ancient history, and the three nightmares above noted, demonstrate.

So, is your life yours alone to live? Can you keep ‘doing your own thing’ regardless of how it affects others or even yourself? Many laws on the statute books say No. Your freedom is relative. For example, a man and a woman may want to marry but the laws of their particular state or nation may forbid them. Why? Because these two may have VD or they may be first cousins and there may be laws against such persons marrying. Why these restrictions? Because what people do with their own lives does affect others. Offspring may result that are mentally and physically so handicapped that they become burdensome charges of the state. Is it right for people blithely to reproduce without any regard to the consequences? Can they do with their lives whatever they want to? No, not altogether.

That is also why there are laws prohibiting traffic in narcotics. If anyone wants to become a drug addict, is that anybody else’s concern or business? Well, a man who drives an auto while he is “high” on marijuana may cause serious accidents and so poses a threat to the safety and lives of others. And while it might be argued that not many experience such nightmares as described earlier, many drug addicts do turn to violent crime or to prostitution to pay for their addiction, both of which wreak harm upon others.

Or take traffic laws. Many cities, states and lands limit the speed at which a person may drive his auto on certain streets and highways. A thrill seeker may want to drive his auto as fast as it can go, but he may not do so. Why not? Because of the risks that such speeds represent both to himself and to others.

Clearly, your life is not yours alone to live. Life is a trust. What you do with it is bound to affect others. In fact, we are under a moral obligation to make the best possible use of our lives. We cannot do violence to that trust and obligation without hurting others as well as ourselves.

True, man has for ever so long dreamed of being absolutely free. A poet once expressed that wish “which ages have not yet subdued, in man​—to have no master but his mood.” But he who has no master but his moods becomes a slave to his moods; in fact, he may have so many conflicting moods that he does not know what he wishes to do. And did not Napoleon, Hitler and others like them come to grief because of insisting on living their lives their own way?

We cannot get away from it. Man was not made to be absolutely free. Man has a Creator; man did not get here by himself. Therefore, man is accountable to the Creator. In the garden of Eden the first human pair was given much, but not absolute freedom. They were told to produce offspring, beautify the earth and exercise dominion over the animals. Also they were told NOT to eat of the fruit of a certain tree. By these laws man was placed under obligation to his Creator. Clearly his life was not his to lead just as he himself wished; not altogether.​—Gen. 1:28; 2:16, 17.

And when the Son of man came to earth he summed up the obligations or duties of man, showing that they were basically twofold: ‘Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ It might be said that the second commandment implied a third, that of loving oneself. Obedience to these commandments of God is at once the right and the wise thing to do.​—Mark 12:29-31.

The result to our first parents bears out the folly of trying to ‘do our own thing’ regardless of how it may affect others, or regardless of our obligations to others. By Adam and Eve acting as if their lives were theirs alone to live they brought not only irreparable harm to themselves but also dishonor to their Creator and great woe to their offspring.​—Rom. 5:12.

So do not follow their course. Take the wise, rewarding way, which is, not to lead your life as if it were yours alone to live, but to recognize your obligations to your Creator, to your neighbor and to your offspring. One who did so was Abraham of old, who “died in a good old age, old and satisfied.” (Gen. 25:8) Another was the apostle Paul, who was able to write of himself: “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be self-sufficient.” (Phil. 4:11) Yes, these and countless others since their time have proved the Bible proverb true, “The blessing of Jehovah​—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.” You can be assured of that blessing if you recognize your accountability to your Grand Creator and to your fellowman. To enable you to do so is the purpose of such publications as the one you are now reading.​—Prov. 10:22.