Secret to the Great Life

Sometimes I run across nuggets of pure gold while reading blogs. Here’s one I don’t want to forget and I would also like to share with you from The LPM Blog.

Living just to be great will prove at least empty and at most unbearable. Spending ourselves for something infinitely greater, however, still fans our parched souls with the God-given need to matter, but relieves us of the relentless pain of being the “It” Person at the center of it. To live for the greatness of God IS to live the great life. Oh, I know we’ve heard it before but what if something in us clicked all the sudden? What if we all at once awakened to what a dream-killer perfectionism is? And to how pitifully small and unworthy a goal personal greatness is? We were meant for so much more. Everyone of us who embrace the glory of God as our lofty purpose for living will end up doing great things precisely because we end up doing God-things. His holy hand rested on the least act renders the ordinary extraordinary. Far from the least but sadly uncelebrated, spooning soup into the mouth of the weak and bed-bound or manning the church nursery so a tired mom can go to Sunday School are acts of highest worship when offered in the Name of Christ. Though the arrogant and ignorant minimize and miss it, Christ beholds the sight like a breathtaking work of art, tilting His head and squinting His eyes to study each subtle detail. “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mark 14:6)

Christ, the very One who called us to abundant, effective life and commanded us to splash in the cool springs of joy while living it announced the secret to the great life without a hint of contradiction:

Pour it out lavishly, sacrificially for the glory of God and the good of man. Those with presence of mind and semblance of health are called to pour out the drink offering of their lives until the cup is turned completely over and every last drop of energy slips – perhaps unnoticed, uncelebrated – into the vast ocean of earthly need. The last imperceptible drop of your well-lived life will sound like a tidal wave hitting the floor of the Grand Canyon to the hosts of Heaven.

“I’m already great enough for both of us,” Christ says in effect, relieving the willing of their woeful burden. “Just follow Me.” For “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-44)

Definitely something I need to remember!

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to feel perfect and look perfect in order to have a great life or the so-called perfect life.   With all the craze over bodybuilding supplements and cosmetic surgery, maybe one should instead be concerned about life building supplements?   My life building supplements include being a follower of Christ and reading God’s word, the Bible, and participating in a community of Christ followers.   Being kind and considerate of those around me and respecting others go along with that.   How about you?   What are you doing to supplement your life building?