A LIFE WORTH LIVING!
A LIFE WORTH LIVING!I remember with clarity how my childhood pastor asked this question: “If you get hit by a truck tonight do you know where your going?” That question prompted many of us junior high boys to quickly move to the front of the church and pray the sinners prayer.I was raised in a very devote Christian family. My parents and grandparents adhered to a strict understanding of holiness. I was encouraged very early in life to “be saved.” It was extremely clear that “to be saved” would ensure a place in heaveN when you die. (and just to make it clear I believe that is true)I knew the story! We were sinners and if we accepted Jesus and lived a certain way we would go to heaven and not hell. I’m not quite sure I was given a good picture of heaven, but I sure got a good picture of hell. And I knew I didn’t want to go there.Now don’t misunderstand me, I am very thankful for the home, the church, my family and the faith that I was given as a child. That faith (flawed in its presentation, in my opinion) has sustained my life for over forty years. However, the story that I was given has created multiple conflicts and confusion in my life, and I believe in many others as well.Slowly through many teachers and books and personal experiences I have come to realize that when we believe in Jesus, we are the receiptants of “eternal life” right now! In lieu of a story line that promises eternal life when you die and go to heaven. The Scriptures speak of the “Kingdom of God that is at hand.” They tell us that “life,” “Abundant Life” is ours right now.This changes everything about the way we live and enjoy life in this present moment! In fact suddenly Christianity becomes a “LIFE WORTH LIVING.”For many years I lived in fear of offending or disappointing God and thus missing out on “eternal life and heaven.” Multiple standards of morality, do’s, don’ts, and denominational interpretations grew increasingly confusing. Frustration with myself and others created a roller coaster of faith, up one minute and down the next.Over the years I would continue to return to the gospels and to the Jesus’ story. Here I would find the Son of God, the manifestation of the Father’s Love, announcing the presence of the Kingdom and offering life to all who would enter and receive that Kingdom as a present reality.This story seems far different from the one my childhood pastor would tell on Sunday nights in that little church in rural Kansas. It felt entirely different from the context in which I was raised.If I entered or received the Kingdom as a present reality, I noticed that I lived in a different “way.” I began to focus more on being “transformed” rather than surviving until I reached heaven. It changed the way I talked, walked, and loved! In stead of fear I discovered a freedom from worry and anxiety.It has taken many years to discover this “Life Worth Living.” A life that is empowered by His constant presence. A life that is the continuation of His Life. A Life that is filled with meaning and purpose every day and not simply some day.I hope this humble confession and simple words help some one to listen to the Jesus story again. The Story of How He has come to us to give us His Life right Now!