What Is Your Life?

6/12/2024

Written by: Margie Davis

"What is your life?"

Last week while at VBS, I decided to do an informal survey of some random adults who were there. I asked them this question “what is the most interesting thing about you?” NO ONE could give me an answer! Some would say things like “well, I’m a wife and mother but that’s not really interesting.” I found myself contemplating the question myself. What would you answer if I asked the question of you?

Some of you may not know that I worked from 1997-2009 as the church secretary. I absolutely loved the job and only left to pursue my own business as a full time Fitness Trainer. One day I was taking a lot of good-natured teasing from one of my co-workers and I finally said to him “ok, you’ve been picking on me all day, so now you need to say one nice thing about me.” He gave it a moment’s thought and then said “you are the most joy-filled adult I know.” He didn’t say that I was the best secretary or that I had great hair or that he appreciated my energy and hard work. He didn’t tell me that he liked my outfit or my singing on the praise team. He recognized my JOY as the thing he noticed most. I’ve never forgotten it!

Knowing that I was actually exhibiting one of the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22 was a very encouraging moment for me. I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle way too much with self-image! And because of that, I put way too much emphasis on my physical appearance. But you know what? If I make the way I look the most interesting thing about me, I will (and admittedly DO) struggle with aging and the changes that come with it.

Likewise, if we have a need to continually update our house with the newest trends just so people will notice, then will we feel we’ve lost our appeal when we can no longer afford the upgrades?\

When we make our professional lives the most interesting thing about us, we will struggle to have purpose when we retire or lose our job due to downsizing.

We’ve all seen people who make their children the absolute center/purpose of their lives and when those children grow up and leave home then their world becomes a small and unfamiliar place with a husband or wife in it who seems like a stranger.

Some of you were great athletes in your youth and you love to reminisce about your glory days! But when we make our past the best/most interesting part of us we may struggle to connect with our present.

WHAT DEFINES YOU? James 4:14b poses the question like this “What is your life?”

In Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” he says “The way you see your life shapes your life.” If you want to find the most interesting thing about your life, you will not find it looking inside yourself. Every single thing we count worthy in this world is temporary! You must look to the Creator and His reason for creating YOU to find YOUR purpose. And that alone will be the most interesting thing about you! “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11

Recently Josh spoke about our inner dialogue and how that becomes the soundtrack of our lives. I thought this was such an eye-opening and profound description of how the enemy works to rob us of the life that not only we want for ourselves, but the one that our creator wants and INTENDS for us!