"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.” - John 8:12
What are you doing with your life? I mean, really doing with it? What do you represent to those around you? Do you represent desperation and defeat? Do you represent assurance and victory? Is what you became what you expected to become? Or is life just happening to you, like a movie?
On any given day I know what I can represent: all the above. Some days I stride around surrounded by a shield of humbling and empowering faith. Other days I can barely put one foot in front of the other. I can't speak for other faiths but I know that in Christianity the struggle is what it's all about. Because only the struggle of this world can lead you to Christ. One cannot be "saved" unless they are in need of saving. Who needs saving? The desperate, those in pain, those who are lonely and confused, those who are lost.
Last time I checked, on any given day? That's you and me.
The difference between the "saved" and the "not yet saved" is not a position of dominance, superiority or righteousness. Quite the contrary; it's a position of submission. It's not saying "Oh, I'm past all those forks in the road and I know where I'm going now" as much as it's about saying, "Man, I get lost too, but I have a map now. I have a compass." I am now called to serve, not preach, to help, not judge. Sadly, many of the Christians who get all the press are either promising people prosperity or damning them to hell. In other words, instead of worshiping God they're playing God.
Jesus washed the disciples feet. He loved. He forgave. He listened. He helped. He came and he left but whether it was with the woman at the well, or with the Pharisees, with countless strangers or within his own inner circle of disciples, he seemed to be asking the same question over and over again: What are you doing with your life?
So today, will you take the time to answer him?
Illness seems to be making me re-evaluate my usual answer, and for that, I am grateful for this time of unique rest, lack of direction, and lack of control.
ReplyDeleteToday I am being still and knowing that he is God.
This reminds me a bit of Pilgrim's Progress (which I must reread, one of these days). The days when Christian was smugly confident that he was all that and a bag of chips were the days he was MOST likely to lose his way; the days when he had a humbler attitude of "we're all on this path together" and helping others, even if it slowed him down, were actually the days when he made the most progress.
ReplyDelete@ Hilaree Being still and knowing God is the best "way" to be and the only "knowing" that matters.
ReplyDelete@ Bev Yes. Truth be told, I count you as one of my secular friends (he said smugly ;) You are on your journey. Others are on theirs. I am on mine. Maybe it's because I came to Christianity with such caution that I am wary to offend or negate the hopes and faiths of others. But as I think I've told you, I've sampled most of them all (Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism to name a few). Some of them for years on end. All I can say is for me? Jesus made it all click. Like a key turning a lock, all the tumblers fell into place.