When do you feel most alive?
What is life? What is death?
What does God say is life and death for you? For us?
“We most passionately pursue that which we perceive will give us life!
And, we most passionately avoid that which we perceive will bring us death!”
- Dr Larry Crabb, Psychologist/Spiritual director/Theologian
Typically, people embrace their personal definition of life (and death) from interpretations of childhood experiences. Our “best day” as a kid can often give us clues to what we perceive will bring us life! Relational connection, finishing valued projects, being wanted, doing what I enjoy are all wonderful “second” things we can treasure. However, they were not designed to bring us life, or a sustained inner sense of being alive! Like a drug they bring a “high” that soon dissipates, leaving us increasingly looking for our next “fix!”
Also, a “worst day” as a kid, which may have entailed rejection, betrayal, diminishing hope, or pervasive loneliness, can bring us deep, ongoing pain that feels like a sort of “death!” But is it really? Or is it a legitimately painful event, never final, that can be redeemed for good by a profoundly loving, infinitely wise, and awesomely powerful God committed to our ultimate welfare & His beautiful purposes?
As we talk about our best days and worst days as a child, and seeking real life in HIM, understanding God’s provision of deeply satisfying life and the avoidance of true death, become a most worthy pursuit anyone can take!! Maybe the thing in life we need the most.
“Every generation needs a new revolution.” - Thomas Jefferson
b2g is about connection and community. It’s about building relationship with people nearby. If you can’t find your city in the list below, try looking somewhere else.
Wow. Some of my best memories are from sports and the many great coaches I’ve had. Are you saying that I need to be careful about how I pursue recreating those “good times”? As a kid, I rarely won the MVP award but often got the “Most Improved” award. I guess what you are saying is that there is a danger in centering my whole life around “winning the award.” Improvement is good, but it can trip me up if it’s the only thing I am doing.
on Monday
Good thoughts Storelli!! And I can relate to getting “most improved,” but rarely even coming close to MVP. I think it is a great thing to enjoy the beautiful & meaningful things that come into our life! And if we can recreate them as appropriate, go for it! However, when we tenaciously cling to them and want them more than we want God, that is a problem. We hurt the heart of God, “shoot ourselves in the foot” and beyond, when we put anything and anyone before the only true source of lasting moment by moment life - love, strength, energy, hope, etc.
on Wednesday