Life and Death

Here is a thought I read somewhere the other day: Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Wow. That made me stop and think. Does this stir any thoughts or feelings in you? It made me think about how easy it is to let your "comfort zone" dictate who you are willing to talk to and who you are not, or where you will go and where you won't, or whether to ask your boss for a promotion or a raise, or speak the truth into a friend's life who may be struggling in some way. The purpose of life is about so much more than our comfort, don't you think. We should be stretching ourselves, following the Holy Spirit wherever He may be leading, not worrying so much about personal comfort. We should be willing to set God-size goals, goals that can only be reached with God's help. We need to be asking our Lord how He wants us to spend our time, even our rest. Do you unwind in front of a TV? Is that how He would want you to unwind after a long, hard day? Does spending an evening in front of the TV move you any closer to your goals, or does it just "comfortably" bring another day to an end? Are you learning, growing, becoming more intimate with the God you love? Are you striving so much for what the world values that you don't have the time or the energy to pursue God or His goals in your life? If you are, do you think that is by accident, or do you think the enemy of God has anything to do with that? Do you think this grieves God? Wow ~ heavy stuff. I told you that phrase at the beginning of this entry made me stop and think.

And that word "striving" ~ as I wrote that above, that, too, got me thinking. Is it bad to strive for worldly things, but good to strive for God? IS striving ever a good thing? I was recently praying and worrying over some family issues when God gave me a picture in my mind. The picture was of my infant granddaughter sleeping in my arms. And it occurred to me that she "strives" for nothing. She simply trusts. Is this what the scripture means when it says we are to come to Him as little children? My granddaughter does not worry whether her caregivers have forgotten about her needs, or whether she is safe in their arms, or what tomorrow may bring. She simply trusts. What does trusting God really mean? What does it really look like? What does God want it to look like?

These are just a few of my thoughts today. What are yours?