Do you think it seems that the majority of us, if not all, spend our time trying to get life to fit? From education, to location, to occupation, to circulation (of friends), we spend exorbitant amounts of time and energy on the hunt for what pleases the self.
It seems as if happiness is a secret buried within the ruins of experience. Elusively, satisfaction seems to hopefully reside just around the corner or over the next horizon. Landing such a catch, however, appears to be rare. Temporary placation doesn't count for we are seeking the permanent sort.
Enter the life vows of Jesus.
The narrow road to satisfaction just happens to be the one few want. Yet there is no other way to authentic contentment. We must lose our life in order to find it. The announcement is clear. However, the heart balks. Roads and alleys of momentary satisfaction are sought only to be discovered as yet another temporary map to meaningful life.
Jesus lost his life to save the rest of us. We are called to imitate him. We are called to get lost to what we can imagine for ourselves by stepping out on a road of travel God has designed. This will scare the living daylights out of us. Yet, to decline leaves us on perpetual hunt for meaning and purpose.
We are invited to lose our dreams and our intents in order to find bigger dreams and larger meaning.
But....we hedge. We trust the proverbial bird in the hand is better than two in the bush theology that sounds wise to we habitual theorists. We have yet to understand that if that bird actually lands in the hand, it will soon take flight only to leave us once again empty-handed.
The reason for such massive struggle among these masses is that we want to do life with our toe on the bottom of the pool. We hold on to our familiarities for comfort is our game. We refuse to risk because such would involve mystery.
If any are to find life with deep meaning, personal fear has got to go. We are destined to lose our life in order to find it. Willingness to endure failure by dying to fleeting dreams for the moment will prove to be amazing in both adventure and gratification.
Whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it...Lk. 9:24
1 comment:
Wonderful and needed thoughts. Unfortunately, this season can turn into a season of "stuff". We think new and more will satisfy and excite, whether it be for our kids or for us. Or we ponder certain life moves which we seek because they might make us "happier". However we forget to look back at all the times in the past when we've done similar things and obviously they didn't satisfy for long, otherwise we wouldn't be thinking the way we are today. Only Jesus, and his life are truly satisfying. Lord, please let that sink in!
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