“I’m living for more than just a funeral.”

Time is such an odd idea. Like the fact that there is this idea of something called “a minute” and then 60 of those add up to a thing called “an hour” and then 24 of those equal “a day” is just WILD!  Who says that these things even exist beyond the belief that they just do? It’s easy to observe that day always gives way to night and that night always gives way back to day, but it’s a different idea that some “thing” exists in between all that.

But even beyond all the physical representations of time, it’s even crazier to see how our days operate around the time that we have. We know (or at least I hope you do) that at any moment our time could run out and then we are into eternity, but I don’t think many people, including me, honor that truth about eternity. Believing that our life will continue on as it always have, we take life itself for granted. We go through our every day living with a mundane perspective as if our lives will continue to exist just like they always have. Instead of seizing every opportunity to live life to the fullest and embrace our callings and dreams, we sit around looking at our phones and seeking out relationships with shallow beginnings and ends. *Sidenote about phones and relationships–It breaks my heart seeing everyone around me so absorbed into their phones that they don’t take the opportunity to simply interact with another human being on a personal level. THAT’S WHAT WE WERE MADE TO DO! Interaction is in our DNA, and I think we are denying one of our very basic needs when we become an addict to our phone and a victim to self seeking nature of the world.* But back to it… With this attitude, it’s easy to get into a lifestyle that believes “I’m JUST going to college”, or “I am JUST a guy who doesn’t know what I want to be when I grow up”, or”I’m JUST a girl dreaming about Mr. Right”… But we don’t have to! Every single day is a new and rare opportunity to become who we are meant to be while at the same time an opportunity to encourage all of the other people living in that same lifestyle that has always held us down. Every day is another day to wake up and take the world head-on.  (For more on this: https://youtu.be/qrGPqgad0vU— 10:40, but really the whole video is amazing!)

But I’ve been the one that feels like I’m just barely getting by too. Feeling lost and confused about what my purpose is. Questioning whether or not what I’m doing even means anything. And the only way I really found any freedom from that pain was to turn back to the promises I knew Jesus had for me.

The first promise being that He saved my life from eternal hell–this is the greatest gift I could ever receive. Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The second promise I know to be true is that we are not JUST humans on this earth living a pointless life! You know why? Cause Jesus told me (and you). Colossians 3:23 out of the Message version says, “And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.” We have a purpose and it’s to serve Christ every day! I don’t know about you, but that gives me great peace because I now have hope knowing that my life does mean something.

We have such a great opportunity every day to truly believe that we are meant for more than ordinary lives–and to live that out! Living an extraordinary life means that we do our every day things to the glory of Christ. Some of those things might seem boring–going to school, seeking out answers, searching for a spouse– but when we combine them with serving Christ, then what an adventure it becomes! We aren’t a lone companion anymore, this journey becomes a journey for two, with the captain being the Savior of the world. That’s a fun adventure.

This isn’t a post that is meant to point a finger at all the wrong things you’re doing in your life. Not at all. But I do believe, deeply, that we all need to realize that this life on earth is not a forever, and that we need to be reminded how precious each second really is. Our limited time is very important. It’s important not only for the relationships that we have right now, but it is even more important in determining our eternity. –Although we cannot comprehend eternity in our mind, this time that we have on earth is important because it determines where we will spend that eternity (by choosing Jesus or not).– Eternity is a guarantee. But where we will spend it is not. Heaven and hell are very real places, but I often don’t live like they are. So it makes me wonder what the world would look like if all of us lived each day as if heaven were real? I think our motivation would change drastically. It wouldn’t be so much about getting a better job to get more money to buy more things, but instead I think our life would turn selflessly around and it would be about trying see that heavenly kingdom fill with more and more brothers and sisters while we serve our Savior and Creator.

As I sit here editing this post I’m thinking about the time it has taken me to write it (much too long, because of my “busyness” unfortunately) and I realize that time is slipping away from me. It’s an odd feeling to be realizing that at this very moment in time there are seconds going by that I will never get back. But I don’t believe these seconds have been a waste of my time, because I’m doing something that I love and something that I want to invest my time in. I love to write. I love (and long) to help people. So why shouldn’t I take time to do a job that is both honoring to the Lord and helpful to my friends? Why shouldn’t we all take time to do the things we love? We should fill our days with the healthy things we feel passionate about and called to do. Frederick Buechner writes, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Where does your deep gladness exist?–Pursue it at all costs! Don’t be satisfied with filling your days away with meaningless nonsense or some garbage that will only lead to destruction. After all, as the Switchfoot song goes, “Life is short, I wanna live it well!”

Don’t put your hope in the world. Embrace God’s calling right now! Live in accordance with Him. Talk to Him, love Him, seek Him out. He won’t let you down.

“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men..”

be brave.

SM