Life is short. There are a million cliches.
Where did the years go?
You could get hit by a bus tomorrow.
Everyone’s days are numbered.
Yes, your days are numbered, and the Lord already has them counted. He also put you here on earth for a reason and He has plans for you.
I don’t know how old you are or how many days you have left.
I don’t even know how many days I have left. But, I am thinking that at 48, I have passed the half way mark.
So how many days can we afford to frivolously waste mindlessly watching tv, maintaining a daily routine of drudgery, or simply not feeling like our life counts.
I am not intimating that we shouldn’t rest. Or that we shouldn’t relax. I am absolutely not saying that we should go ninety to nothing with our hair on fire. I’ve done that and it doesn’t add meaning. It actually just accelerates life – meaningful or frivolous.
Making Your Life Count Is Individual For Each Of Us
To me, making your life count is individual to each of us.
I want to say it is living on purpose…whatever that looks like to you.
But then I get a pang in my conscious, “Am I trying to take control back from God again? That didn’t work in the past.”
Then I reframe it….for me…maybe for you.
God’s Plan Equals A Life That Counts
I need to seek God’s plan for my life. I need to put Him first and ask Him what His plan is to use me for His Kingdom in this season of life.
I have only known Jesus for 12 years and in that short time I have had many seasons already.
One of those seasons was a season of rest for me. So rest is fine if it is God’s plan. But if the days or the years are passing and you are not using your time in ways that feel meaningful….if you are bored all of the time…if you are depressed….if you are anxious in a negative way…..I am not sure that is God.
He doesn’t promise us that His plans are easy. He tells us we have to live in this world even though we are aliens. But if we seek Him, stay close to Him, follow and obey Him, He promises joy and peace.
God’s Doesn’t Promise Easy, But He Does Promise Joy
Joy and peace even through difficulties.
If you sought God’s plan, and are going ninety miles an hour and feel joy and peace , this could be your season for it.
If you can sit on your porch, enjoy a cup of coffee, staring at your lake in peace and joy, it may be your season for it.
If you are bored, overeating, mindlessly filling your days, praying for work to be over, and filling your nights with tv, internet surfing, overeating, over-drinking and wondering where is the meaning in each day…..
Go Back To The Source For Meaning
I think you may need to go back to the source. Go back to seeking God. Praying for His will for your life. Asking Him to put you in His Kingdom game.
New Years signifies many different things for different people. God doesn’t need a calendar year to change, to come up with a plan for us. Sometimes though, we do. In this new year I am on my knees looking to HIm for the new season.
How can I make the most of it?
Follow me, He says.
Great read Sue! I just love your encouragement. Even though we are living in these tumultuous times, God is here waiting for everyone.
Mark, He is waiting for us all. Sometimes I need to slow down and remember He is there!
I don’t need to fill every moment — which is an awful tendency of mine. But I do need to invest in the things that count, the stuff that really matters. “God doesnt promise easy” may be the most important words I’ve read in a long time.
David, There is so much stuff and so little time. I am trying to focus on what matters more and more. And to me that is people! Thanks for your thoughts.
Great post. God doesn’t promise easy, I agree, but I think if you are on the right path there are some moments when you feel like you’re getting a wink from God. It sure does make it sweeter.
Diogenes Ruiz …..it is much sweeter indeed! And for me it always brings me closer to God. You can’t lose with that as the reward.
This is a great post!
When I feel at peace, and when I can feel joy in most anything (despite extenuating circumstances), I am comfortable that I am on the right path.
Make it a habit to ask God, through prayer, to show you if you are not on the right path. Tell him that you, ore than anything, want to be on the path that he has set forth.
I do occasionally have a difficult time giving it all to him, in other words, I seek to find the fine line between what I responsibly take control of through my daily actions, or what I leave for him to lead me through.