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It may or may not be Easter when you read this article, and it doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t matter if you’re Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, a member of any other religion, or even atheist. It doesn’t matter who you are when it comes to learning a lesson on resurrection from Jesus.
Hey, non-believers! Don’t click away because this isn’t going to be religious or even spiritual.
Hey Christians! Don’t click away because I’m not going to mock you or diminish the divinity of Jesus.
Whoever you are, please keep reading with an open mind.
Think about it: at a fundamental level, Jesus is a heroic figure. The Biblical story of his life, and especially his death and rebirth, is a prime example of the hero’s journey. Mythical heroes go beyond the “ordinary world” of their civilizations and step into the unknown. Then, they return from their journey “beyond the pale” with new wisdom to share for the betterment of society.
Sounds like Jesus, doesn’t it?
As the story goes, the Christian messiah was crucified and went to Hell for three days. He then returned from the dead in order to prove the power of God over sin and death.
Jesus made a heroic journey everyone thought was impossible to give the faithful hope for resurrection.
But what can this story teach us about daily life? It can inspire us to consider our own powers of resurrection.
Learning from Jesus and Satan
Are you struggling with any aspect of your life? Have you become so disillusioned with some facet of existence that you don’t see a way out?
Here’s where I bring up Satan (again, please stay with me).
In the epic poem Paradise Lost, author John Milton had the Devil utter the following: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.” When you’re happy or sad, it is your mind—or, more precisely, your mindset—that determines your outlook on the world.
The story of a hero like Jesus is meant to remind us that “resurrection” from a negative mindset is in our hands. We can choose to be our own saviors and arise from the figurative “death” of despair.
This isn’t to say that we might not need help from others on this journey. Even Jesus had his disciples, not to mention the intervention of his heavenly father. This help may come in the form of friends, family, therapists, or even medication.
But ultimately, YOU must decide to change your situation. Without a personal conviction to change, no amount of outside help will save you. YOU must choose to take the journey to a better mindset.
Take the Three-Part Path of the Hero
The hero’s journey is a structure for life, one that has been repeated in the mythologies of most cultures throughout the ages. These epic stories were created to inspire us on our own paths to personal growth.
I encourage you to apply the hero’s journey framework to your own life. This is a time-tested method to help you live with purpose, fulfillment, and adventure.
Joseph Campbell broke the hero’s journey into many distinct segments, but it can be separated into three major parts:
- The Call to Adventure
- The Road of Trials
- The Return with Wisdom
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This structure fits the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection perfectly. Jesus was called by God to suffer and die for the sins of humanity. After his death, he journeyed through the trial of Hell and overcame that challenge. Then, he returned to Earth to share the wisdom of death’s defeat.
The deep purpose of the hero’s journey is to get out of your comfort zone, face the challenges of life, and gain wisdom as a result.
You Have Unlimited Second Chances
So, no matter who you are, you can take the lesson of the Easter story and apply it to your daily life. But instead of just one figurative death and resurrection, remember: every day offers you the ability to “die” to your despair, doubts, and fears in order to “resurrect” yourself into the person you want to be.
Don’t be fooled into believing you have limited opportunities to change for the better. Too many of us employ all-or-nothing thinking, giving ourselves few chances to succeed or fail. So when we do fail, we mistakenly allow ourselves to fall into a spiral of self-criticism that stymies our growth.
You need to give yourself a break. You need to remember that hope springs eternal. Here in this Earthly realm, we have “unlimited second chances” to remake ourselves and become someone new.
Let’s put a new spin on the question “what would Jesus do?” Remember to let your old self “die” when necessary, so you can be reborn when it’s time for a change!
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A version of this article originally appeared on Medium.
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