| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Fully Alive” Our Bible verse for today: “I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ – which is far better – but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Philippians 1:23-24 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Age gracefully but live fully” I’m a Jimmy Buffet fan. Jimmy is “Mr. Beach Music”. All of his songs have to do with life at the beach, or the benefits of vacation time, or about the adventure of living, etc. He has a lyric in one of his songs that really resonates with me at a deep level and which has become something of a personal motto, if not a personal mission statement. It goes, “I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.” Can all God’s people say, “Amen!”? We should remain fully alive, living life with enthusiasm and gusto, until we die. Oh sure, the nature and contours of life will be different in different seasons of life. At seventy you can’t do some of what you used to do at forty. But still, there is much that can be done at seventy, or whatever age you happen to be, and therefore should be. In Philippians 1:23-24 (above) the aged and elderly Apostle Paul wrote that he was ready to leave this life and go to heaven, which would be a vast improvement over the condition he was in, but he also realized that God wasn’t done with him yet here on earth. As long as Paul still had breath in his body then God still had a reason for him to be alive. Perhaps at that time all Paul was physically able to do was write, talk, and pray. Perhaps his days of long journeys, sleeping outdoors, and preaching to big crowds, were over. Maybe at that stage in his life his God-given purpose was to write letters, witness for Christ, counsel disciples, and pray. Well then, that’s what he did. And he did it with enthusiasm and gusto. He was determined to live until he died – and to live fully. Too many people do not age gracefully. Instead, they make constant references to their aches and pains. They complain about getting old. They spend hours upon hours thinking about and longing for the good-old-days. They withdraw from church life. They can’t seem to accept the season of life they’re in. I believe Christians should be grateful for, and should fully embrace, every day of life the good Lord grants to them. I for one choose to sing along with Jimmy, “I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.” Let’s all resolve to age gracefully, but let’s also be fully alive every day that we’re still alive. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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