What John Cougar Taught Me About Life

Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone – John Mellencamp

The thrill is gone. There comes a point in every life where you are faced with the overwhelming feel of “is this it?” Many mid-life crisis happen when this question is asked. The abundance of tasks and extra hours of work increase when this is asked. We try to masque this forgone conclusion – life can never fully satisfy that which is in us.

The older I become, the more I resonate with Mellencamp. This line is by far his most significant contribution to the world because of its raw and all encompassing truth. Life presents eager promises of joy through questionable means. Career, marriage, family, and material items shine for a season but dim over time. It almost seems like the more we acquire, both things and experiences, the more alone we realize we are. Our lives hum with a nagging longing for more. Many bounce from thrill to thrill hoping to recapture something lost along the way.

The thrill is gone

8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. – John 10:8-11

I use to read these passages and think the thieves and robbers were people. Now I sense them to be more abstract. Experiences can be thieves. Desires can be robbers. Jesus is making a clear distinction between living and breathing. Many breaths coast on the hum of frustration. True living however is something more abundant. It lifts hearts and eyes to something much greater than the mere hoarding of the temporary. It is no coincidence that Christ mentions His laying down of life for us. Perhaps this is the start of a thrilling life – to lay it down willingly.

Lord, break these hands that grasp the mundane so readily. Redefine success and joy for me. Rid me of my need for more.