Dying to Live or
Living to Die?
2ndTimothy 2:11-12: “For if we died with
Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”
Welcome to
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. I
love Wednesdays! Not only because it’s halfway through another week, but it’s
our time to really dig into a meal of scripture to apply in our lives. When it
comes down to it, the best things learned in life are found in these pages
written long ago and still so very relevant today. Grab your coffee and your
strand of faith and let’s go ties some knots together.
Have you
ever heard someone say, “I’m dying to go…” or, “I’m dying to do…”? I know I’ve
used that phrase many times, and probably too many to count. Life is full of pleasures that we say “we
would die” for, and yet, would we?
A couple of
weeks ago in our Trench Class, we were having a group discussion about despair,
which can be as a result of putting our hope in the wrong things/people, and
how we can unknowingly become angry with God. Doing as many of these classes as
I have, it takes a lot to startle me, or surprise me, but this particular
night, one of our transforming men said something that startled, surprised and
saddened me. He said “God didn’t give me what I wanted,” and this was one of
the reasons for his current despair.
My first
response was: “Our God is not a genie in a bottle but a loving Father and when
He doesn’t give us what we want, it’s usually for our good, but that is a tough
truth to swallow if you don’t know what you believe or who you believe in.”
I then went
on to make an announcement to this class of mixed beliefs. I said: “This life that we’re living is
temporary, a place where we are to be exercising spiritually to prepare for our
final destination, a sort of dress-rehearsal for the real thing.” I then added,
“I know that’s hard for some of you to believe especially if you are mad at
God, or don’t know what you believe about God, but one day we’ll have to come to
terms with the reality of eternity and where we’ll spend it.” I then asked:
“Are you living to die, or dying to live?”
But even
days after class, his transparency was speaking to me, because if he feels that
way, I just know there are so many more out there that feel the same way. And
then I came across this portion of scripture while studying something entirely
different! I just love how He reaffirms us, confirms His truths for us to share
with others.
See, if we
died with Him, meaning we crucify our own desires, our own selfishness, our own
agenda daily then we are living to die! But if we are simply living for the
moment, for our own desires, for our next new car, better job, the latest in
fashion and jewelry, a better relationship, or for the possibility of changing
someone else, or all for our children, or for our spouse, then we are living to
die!
Perhaps all
you need to do is shake up those priorities a bit, put them in the right order
so you may answer I’m dying to live…eternally with the One Who rights all
wrongs, the One Who will never leave me or forsake me. Eternity is a reality!
Eternally minded,
Evinda
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