Living in the meantime

Life sometimes consists of walking one moment at a time and then one day at a time. Learning how to be content with the here and now always seems to be at war with our expectations for the future. We set ourselves up for failure when we compare our sucess with what appears to be the sucess of others. We look at the lives of other people and are quick to make assesments of them after a brief glimpse of the outside. First impressions can be dangerous. If folks fit a predefined mold that the world gives us to model then those folks must have it all together. If you wear the right clothes, weigh the right weight , are the right height , drive the right kind of car, live in the right type of house in the right kind of neighborhood then you must be a sucess. The problem with first impressions is that we only see what is on the outside. We dont see the burdens and fears and hopes and dreams and pain that might be right under the surface. All we see is what we can see through the limited perceptions of our own eyes. We look at one another just like we look at God, through darkly shaded glasses. We are familiar with the general shape and color and smells but when it comes to clarity things are just so fuzzy.

Our priorities are driven by what makes us happy and our priorities will utlimately define who and what we become. Pursuit of happiness can last a lifetime and can lead to ruin. The world yells at us that if it feels good do it. The problem with that philosphy is that the world around us is filled with things that will satisfy our flesh until it gets bored. How many boxes of chocolates do you need to eat before you get sick of it? Our flesh desires to have variety. Give me this, give me that. Allow me to experience all that I can so that I can feel good. Our happiness never quite reaches true joy and peace. The happiness that the world offers us will never satisfy our need for peace and contentment and fullfillment. Our purpose to be happy and content will never be complete without God.

Living in the meantime means that we must find the hope. Life is full of disappointment, heart ache, frustrations, trials and tribulations and temptations at every corner. What is at the end of the tunnel ? Through the pain , onward to battle and victory. Do we have a choice? We either stand still and subject ourselves to the pain and anguish that the world will inflict upon us or we choose to acknowledge the pain and choose to enter into the battle of life and figure out how to become victorious. A life without purpose is a life that is destined for unsatisfied helplessness and defeat.
Wandering from one feel good situation to the next will never allow us to experience true peace, contentment or joy. As people we must be purpose driven.

Life is so difficult at times that it is sometimes easier to just ride the waves. Without purpose we lack power, without power we lack direction and without direction we endanger ourselves and our future. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the daily tasks of living that we loose sight of the big picture. Pain and struggling can cause us to forget what our purpose is. Living life on a daily basis sometimes pushes us off the road and causes us to put life on hold for a moment. Rest and healing is needed but we should not stay there forever. We must enter back into the race that we are in and push towards the finish line. Each of us has a race and we will eventually reach the finish line or we will not. Is the race over when we die physically or does it begin? Have we been created to be born, go to school, get a college degree, get married, have kids, enjoy grand children, grow old and then die? Is there more meaning to life than that?

I choose to believe that there is a God that has a bigger purpose for us than just living this life. This life that we live is only a shadow of the life to come as we walk through eternity. I believe that God created us and that He can do anything that He chooses to. I choose to believe that God has a purpose for our lives. God desires a personal relationship with his creation. His purpose for our lives is that we pursue Him relentlessly and allow Him to touch our lives in every area. We need to decide to live our lives according to Gods will and not our own. Gods purpose will give us true peace and joy and contentment. The world that we live in certainly does not offer anything of eternal value. God wants us to experience life and experience it abundantly.








James Moffitt
Jesus Connect Ministries
http://www.jesus-connect.net
jcmoffitt@jesus-connect.net