Existing, Surviving, Living

Existing, Surviving, Living

Doris Day sang:

“Qué será, será What will be, will be”

The Beatles sang:

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, Life goes on, brah, La, la, how the life goes on

Until it doesn’t.  Then what?

I am sincerely troubled by my observation that most people do not take the time to ponder, consider, care about life in general nor their own life in particular.

Life is undeniable, here ‘we’ are, there ‘they’ are.  Where did life come from?, What is intended by it?, These are questions that it seems, most avoid considering.  We excuse ourselves of our disinterest by acting as though we are too busy living to take the time to deal with these ‘higher’, ultimate questions.  But, are we too busy living?  Are we living at all?

Seems that there are at least three types of approaches to life.   One can exist, one can exist and survive, one can exist, survive and live.

Matt 11:17 “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

Many people appear simply deaf, blind, emotionless, inattentive.

Sadly, there are so many who are merely existing. They act likr soulless beings. Like a big rock in a field, it exists there, we exist here. The rock gives no thought to how it got there, what its purpose is.  It simply exists. At times it gets rained upon, moved, shattered, painted.   It really does exist but it only exists. What about us?  Are we just placed here weathering whatever comes our way until we no longer exist? This is shockingly boring!

Perhaps we go beyond simply existing and instead work to survive. We recognize that we are different than a big rock, we actually have thoughts, feelings, soul.   And as we look at and coexist with others, we compare.  Life becomes like the reality series Survivor, a game of survival, it’s a competition.  We actually try to survive longer and better than others until we are ‘voted’ off the island. We learn the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ and work hard to be more fit than others.  We work hard to become more fit than others in areas of education, social status, possessions, finance, power, influence, physical fitness etc. This approach is far less boring than just existing – but towards what end?

Mark 8:36-37 “ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?  Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” 

Then there are those who explore, discover and actually live life.  They seek answers,  where did it originate?, what is its purpose?, how do best live it?,  making our days count vs just counting our days.  They seek out the author and learn from Him. They exercise His words and discover they are true,  They taste and see that He is always good and they are filled with purpose, pleasure and peace.

John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.

As I’ve repeated many times, we are invited to an incredible, forever life alongside, under the guidance and protection of our Heavenly Father,  our Creator.  He brought us into existence, knitting us together in our Mommy’s womb and He who has seen all our days before one had come to be will direct our steps safely helping us to survive so that we might actually live life as it was designed to be lived both now and for eternity.

We must ‘go, to know’ this life.

Matt 7:7-8  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. for everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

You already exist and you have survived to this moment – PLEASE don’t miss out on the living.