Living Life

A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions, and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar. The tragic results of this spirit are all about us. Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit; these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul. – A. W. Tozer

If you have a headache, what do you do?

Stop what you are doing, sit or lie down, maybe put on some soothing music from the Classical Stream. Right?

No? You take an aspirin or some kind of pain reliever and hope it works in the next 10-15 minutes so you can get on with your life.

Tozer is on to something with his above quote. We want instantaneous communication, results, and processes. The faster the better.

Or is it?

Is it really better? Don’t get me wrong, I love speed. I love my fast computer, fast internet connection, fast rollercoasters, and fast flying.

But I’ve come to realize that we really are missing something if all we focus on is the goal and forget – or worse, don’t want to – enjoy the journey getting there.

And what we miss is life.

Yes, we have goals. There’s nothing wrong with that. We are not just aimlessly moving around in life. We are moving toward something, and as Christian we are moving toward God and heaven.

That’s the goal and through faith in Christ it is an assured goal – we will make it.

But there’s life to be lived between here and there. That’s the reason Jesus came.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

The question, or more accurately the quest, is how to live the life that Jesus came to give us.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus makes the life possible. But it is up to us to actually live it.

Here are some ideas on that living.

1. We don’t live it alone. We were created to live life with others. Adam had Eve. David had Jonathon. Jesus had Peter, James, and John (and the other disciples). Who are you living life with?

2. We live in the ups and downs. Life isn’t meant to be go-go-go all the time. There are “down” times, like when we sleep. But also when we need to take a break, sitting in front of a fire on a cold November evening.

3. Life is an “active” word. We don’t usually live life just sitting around. That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately in relation to the Church. Church and life, for many people, are opposites. Church is where you go to sit. Life is where you are when you are not sitting in church. But even Church can be alive! In fact, it should be!

Living life, truly living, is not easy, but it is possible. You can do this.

Here’s how:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

©2008 True Men Ministries.