If you could summarize what you would want for your life in one sentence what would it be?
Wow!
What a big question. Have you ever thought about condensing your life's meaning into just a few words?
Sifting through all the day-to-day, the mundane, the internal clutter, the noise and the business of life and getting your life's goal into such focus that you can pinpoint it's meaning into one concise, easy to understand thought!
If you could do that, you would have a central theme around which your whole live and everything you do would turn.
Can you do that? I think it's worth trying...
Time is such a precious commodity! It seems so sad to fritter away our days... or to strive after silly things... or to spend time on things that really don't matter.
Believe me I know! I so wish I could get back so much of my life and have a re-do. I guess I'm pretty normal in that! How many of us have said... If only I could go back and know what I know now! Most of us are shaking our heads in agreement I'm sure!
That's why it is important to know what we are living for. And know what we want our life to be about.
When we are breathing our last breaths, what will we want from the years we have lived?
As a believer, I know that at my last breath, this tent... my body, will drop off of my spirit... and I will step into eternity! I will live a life so much bigger than I have now! A life with my Lord and Savior Jesus. A forever life!
But, I'm not there yet. My race is not over. You see I... we... are responsible for the life we are given here on earth. It is ours to use. We must decide HOW to use it. And really, the way we use our lives here is of eternal importance.
I made a decision when I was 33 years old to give my life... my whole life... over to Jesus. When I really understood what Jesus had done for me... how he had died in my place because of the foolish and sinful way I was living my life... the only response for me was to put my life into His nail pierced hands!
My life did a BIG U turn. I went from darkness to light. From death to life. From the family of Satan to the Family of God. I gained a Savior, a Kinsman Redeemer, a Champion, a King! I gained security... eternal security!
Is my life perfect... by no means. I still make mistakes and am sometimes full of self-motivated sin. But my life is on a journey... a path. My life has direction! When I get off my life's path and follow rabbit trails... I'm never lost. I know how to get back on the right path and keep following it.
I have found a sentence... a verse in the Bible that my life revolves around...
This is the thought that defines my life...
WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE LORD, TO PLEASE HIM IN ALL RESPECTS, BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK AND INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Colossians 1:10
This is my life... or at least what I am striving for. My life in one sentence! This is what my whole life is about since I have entursted Jesus with it.
I love this verse and its wonderful meaning.
What it is saying is...
WALK... live a life, walk this earthly life... it means to walk a path that has been cut out. A big circle. I like to think of it as a "circle of life". No Lion King references, please!
WORTHY...it's the idea of matching the values of, being like
TO PLEASE HIM IN ALL RESPECTS... is the idea of being a worker. It is the idea of being a worker that carries out and accomplishes just exactly what the boss wants so He is pleased.
BEARING FRUIT... bringing forth a crop. Making a life full of good works that please one's boss. Having something good to show that we have done at the end of our lives. A crop of good things worth something to the boss.
INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD... This is a magnificent phrase. It carries with it the idea of not just knowing who God is or facts about Him, but having a deep and intimate and close and meaningful relationship with Him.
Oh, I want that!
What my life's verse says is that I want to live a life that looks like Jesus. I want everything I do to be pleasing to Him. I want a life that counts. A life that is full of good deeds that glorify God! And as I walk this life, I want each step I take to be in the imprint His feet have left. I want to be in a close, intimate relationship with my Creator. I want to continually be awed and amazed by Him. To be humbled that He would even want a relationship with me. I want to know, really deep down know Him.
That's a pretty tall order for one little life. But here it is! That is what I want out of life. That is what I consider as my life well lived!
How about you? What do you want from life. Can you narrow it down into a single, all-important thought?
I say, don't try to lasso the moon or even reach for the stars... reach beyond them to the One who created them!
Yvonne, thank you for sharing your faith which gives encouragement to your readers. My wish for my life is to be the best Christian I can be and show others the way by my example. I have felt the urge to be the best I can be by reading about a 51 year old fellow blogger who recently passed away. She was such a Godly woman as told by her daughter and scores of people that knew her. You may read about her at glorious restoration.blogspot.com. It will inspire anyone to live a closer life to Christ.
ReplyDeleteLinda
You are well on your way, Yvonne - sharing your faith to so many and using this medium to capture and share that honorable spirit within and encouraging others to do the same. God be with you every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteI truly value your blog as my number one favorite for many reasons, and this is one of the many. xxoo
O sister, your lesson hit home with me
ReplyDeleteGail F
This is a beautiful, soul baring post. And extremely thought provoking for me. Thank you for speaking so candidly and sharing what is on your heart.
ReplyDeleteYou are, indeed, a vessel for our Lord. An inspiration to all of us, your faithful readers and friends.
ReplyDeleteFor me, right now, I want to save our animals, all our animals on our Earth. And, I know I'm late to this cause. I've finished raising my children, now I have grandchildren who will learn from their parents who are so grounded in faith. I need to work on something other than my blog and my jewelry and my social life. So, it's banning trophy hunting worldwide. Read my BIO post for earlier this month, it explains it all.
Don't ever change, Yvonne...being you, always true to yourself and your beliefs, is the reason we follow you.
Thank you Yvonne, for this wonderful message! What a great verse with which to start the new year. I am going to include it on the prayer list that I give to my Bible study group this week. These Sunday Scripture blogs are my favorites!
ReplyDeleteAlyce
Thank you Alyce! I just prayed that God would show himself so big in the lives of your bible study!
DeleteThank you Yvonne. Just what I needed.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, thanks for sharing your heart today and sharing that wonderful verse. I am going to try and memorize it this week. It will be great verse to bring to my mind when life gets out of focus.
ReplyDeleteI cannot begin to thank you enough for this post! You uplift & encourage me with every blog you post. Thank you for giving of yourself to God's work and helping people like me face each and every day with hope. I have lost one son in 2004 and almost lost my oldest son in 2009. He has brain damage and will never be the same, but so thankful God let me keep him a little longer. Thank you again for all you do and if we don't meet here on this earth , I will look for you in our heavenly home.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what you are going through! I pray that God gives you an extra measure of hope, joy and comfort. I prayed this for you! Thanks so much for letting me know. I pray for your son too!
DeleteYvonne, your post was awe-inspiring. Thank you so much, dear sister!
ReplyDeleteSue V.