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Life

             For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:25)

             Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

 

            Work hard for forty years, then you can retire and enjoy life. Except now it’s fifty years. And the life most of us can afford after all that hard work isn’t a long vacation or even a series of annual vacations. It might involve finding a job. And, of course, there are always people who have found some quicker method, often only to be disillusioned when it doesn’t work. But as we put off “life” in hopes of someday being able to enjoy it, we often end up missing it. This was an example I had, and which I was determined to avoid.

            Some folks are so caught up in living “life” that they waste their money, their time, and their lives. They become addicted to something that they equate with life, and it destroys what they hoped to build. I suspect there are times when this applies to me, even if we’re not talking about the big, “popular” nasties of sex and drugs.

            There are also people who don’t go here or there, do this or that, or take a chance in fear of bad results. They’re trying to protect their lives, but end up missing out. I’m not talking about people who say “no” to sex and drugs, but those who can’t get involved in relationships, or can’t take a stand for something, or can’t speak in public, make a change for the better, market their handiwork, art, or craft. This is a big one for me. I tend to lose out on life by trying to protect myself from it.

            Part of the problem is an old one. We don’t define our terms. What is life? Jesus said that eternal life is knowing God. And knowing God involves loving, trusting, and obeying Him. And to that, this morning, I must say:

Father, help me to live today, if only for a moment!

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