Reflect with me back to a time when, all of a sudden, you became keenly aware that everything you have and everything you can do was given to you by God. What happens when you begin to reflect on your God-given life?
As I began my day with God, two words grabbed my attention: unless and useless. “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It’s useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones” (Psalm 127:1-2).
“Unless” with me for just a few moments. Unless God sent Jesus, life is useless and we have no eternal life. Unless the LORD miraculously creates us, we don’t have life. Unless we allow the LORD to build and shape us into His likeness, the culture will shape, distort, and destroy us. Unless the LORD builds our marriage, our marriage will be conflicted and will become a thorn in our flesh. Unless the LORD miraculously intervenes, we won’t have children, for children are a gift from the LORD. Unless God continues to breathe new life into us, life quickly becomes meaningless, and we die. Unless God miraculously orchestrates all of our body systems working together, I just wrote my last
But because God has given us more life and because He makes our lives and our relationships work according to His design, our lives are not useless or meaningless. We’re never too young or too old to thank God for all that He’s done for us and given to us. We’re always at the right stage of life to ask for the Lord’s help. Jesus designed us to depend upon Him. Jesus told us that if we try to do life without Him, we will fail. If we’re experiencing success in life, it has much more to do with God working above, in, and through us than it has to do with our “awesomeness” (a teen word I learned this month). If we’re experiencing failure, maybe we’re not supposed to have what we want. Maybe God will supply our needs in another way. Maybe there are more lessons to be learned from failing, especially if we’re conforming to the patterns of this world.
Since God made you, you have incredible worth. You’re not useless, even if you feel worthless, depressed, anxious, stuck in a bad job or relationship, or if your health went south. With only a single breath and thought, God can shift our gears. Some of us need to slow down and do more by doing less. We need to rest and enjoy our lives and the lives of those around us by making time and by showing love. Some of us need to seize the day and take action to accomplish what God has called us to do instead of thinking, planning, and just praying about doing it. Some of us need to take a vacation from our problems and spend a day singing and praising God for all He’s blessed us with. Some of us need a break from this technology that we’re currently using and go outside and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.
If we could just recapture the mystery and wonder of God, His gift of life, and look for glimpses of His image reflected in people, life would radically change. The people around you aren’t mistakes, bothers, or interruptions unless you think they are. My blog writing got interrupted by wonderful visits from my wife, my best friend “Steve”, my dad, a trip to the farmer’s market to connect with my community, a trip to my favorite Amish farm to chat with Danny, and a trip to Hawkins where my friend Ross works.
Life is short. Seize and enjoy the moments that God gives you with the people that He gives you to enjoy. Make sure that you also enjoy the one you see in the mirror. He’s living and breathing in and through you. You get to reflect the goodness of God with each breath, with each word, and with actions that can be life-giving to others. Imagine what God will do in and through you today. Be useful.