Crazy Love, Chapter 2: You Might Not Finish This Chapter

We are all going to die.

Not exactly a really great way to start off a blog entry.

But folks, no matter how hard you try to hide from it, that's the truth. One day, we are all going to say goodbye to this earth, to the friends and family we know, and slip off into eternity. Death rate always has and always will be 100%. That's just a fact.

In today's reading, I was hit with a couple of things. The first is simply that we need to make our lives count. Francis said, "Many people just waste their lives." That's the truth.

As I prayed about that this evening, at first I felt pretty good about myself. I'm not wasting my life. I'm a pastor/pastoral studies student at a Bible college. I'm investing my life into doing God's work and into pouring into the lives of people, helping them further their relationship with Christ. That's a good thing. I'm doing well in this area, right?

But then I looked to my left. And to my right. I've got these gargantuan piles of clothes here. And all of a sudden, I realized that I needed to rethink whether or not I'm really investing my life into things that count. Sure, I am definitely doing that with my profession and career choice, but I've still got tons of room for growth. I spend so much of my time needing the coolest and best looking clothes, the nicest, neatest techno gadgets, or even just having tons of music (half of which I don't listen to) or movies or whatever. I don't think there's anything wrong with having these things, but I think if I'm honest I have a ton of excess that I simply don't need. Is that stuff that really matters?

The second thing I was sort of impacted by was the whole idea that when we worry and when we stress, we are holding a very prideful attitude. It's just dressed in different clothing. God clearly tells us that it is not our job to be worried or anxious about anything. Take a look at Philippians 4:4-9. Or Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34. When I worry, and when I get anxious, I am essentially saying that God's Word does not apply in this situation; that I am somehow above the law and command of the Almighty Creator.

In the words of Chris Rock in Head of State, "That ain't right!"

After last night's reading and then today's, it should be pretty clear by now that we, as humans, are pretty small in comparison to God. God certainly values and loves each one of us, and each life is important, but in the whole scheme of things, we've each got our brief second of life. I, for one, want to make it count. I pray that God will continue to show me the ways in which I need to start investing in eternity, and doing stuff that truly makes a difference. I pray (gulp) that God will humble me and continue to show me how small and insignificant I am, but how great and powerful He is.