What is your life? James 4:14b (NIV)
"We don't see things as they are;
we see them as we are" ~ Anais Nin
"The way you see your life
shapes your life"
How you define life determines
your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend
your money, use your talents, and value your relationships.
One of the best ways to
understand other people is to ask them, "How do you see your life?"
You will discover that there are as many different answers to that question as
there are people. I've been told life is a circus, a minefield, a roller
coaster, a puzzle, a symphony, a journey, and a dance. People have said,
"Life is a carousel: Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down, and
sometimes you just go round and round" or "life is a ten-speed
bicycle with gears we never use" or "life is a game of cards: You
have to play the hand you are dealt."
If I asked how you picture
life, what image would come to your mind? That image is your life metaphor.
It's the view of life that you hold, consciously or unconsciously, in your
mind. It's your description of how life works and what you expect from it.
People often express their life metaphors through clothes, jewellery, cars,
hairstyles, bumper stickers, even tattoos.
Your unspoken life metaphor
influences your life more than you realize. It determines your expectations,
your values, your relationships, your goals, and your priorities. For instance,
if you think life is a party, your primary value in life will be having fun. If
you see life as a race, you will value speed and will probably be in a hurry
much of the time. If you view life as a marathon, you will value endurance. If
you see life as a battle or a game, winning will be very important to you.
What is your view of life? You
may be basing your life on a faulty life metaphor. To fulfil the purposes God
made you for, you will have to challenge conventional wisdom and replace it
with the biblical metaphors of life. The Bible says, "Do not conform
yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly
by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of
God."
The Bible offers three
metaphors that teach us God's view of life: Life is a test, life is a trust,
and life is a temporary assignment. These ideas are the foundation of
purpose-driven living.
Life on earth is a Test. This
life metaphor is seen in stories throughout the Bible. God continually tests people's
character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. Words like trials,
temptations, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in the Bible. God
tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. God tested Jacob when he
had to work extra years to earn Rachel as his wife.
Adam and Eve failed their test
in the Garden of Eden, and David failed his tests from God on several
occasions. But the Bible also gives us many examples of people who passed a
great test, such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel.
Character is both developed and
revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God
constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict,
illness, disappointment, and even the weather! He even watches the simplest
actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a piece of
trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or waitress.
We don't know all the tests God
will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major
changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved
criticism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life, I have noticed that God
tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how I handle possessions, and
tests my love through people.
A very important test is how
you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes, God
intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. A king named
Hezekiah experienced this test. The Bible says, "God withdrew from
Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart."
Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his
life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness, and to
prepare him for more responsibility.
When you understand that life
is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the
smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is
an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your
character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God. Some tests seem
overwhelming, while others you don't even notice. But all of them have eternal
implications. Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of
life is a test.
The good news is that God wants
you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be
greater than the grace he gives you to handle them. The Bible says, "God
keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to
remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength
to endure it, and so provide you with a way out."
Every time you pass a test, God
notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. James says, "Blessed are
those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will
receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
Life on earth is a Trust. This
is the second biblical metaphor of life. Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence,
opportunities, relationships, and resources are all gifts from God that he has
entrusted to our care and management. We are stewards of whatever God gives us.
This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the owner
of everything and everyone on earth. The Bible says, "The world and all
that is in it belong to the LORD; the earth and all who live on it are
his."
We never really own anything
during our brief stay on earth. God just loans the earth to us while we're
here. It was God's property before you arrived, and God will loan it to someone
else after you die. You just get to enjoy it for a while.
When God created Adam and Eve,
he entrusted the care of his creation to them and appointed them trustees of
his property. The Bible says, "[God] blessed them, and said, "Have many
children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it
under their control. I am putting you in charge."'
The first job God gave humans
was to manage and take care of God's "stuff" on earth. This role has
never been rescinded. It is a part of our purpose today. Everything we enjoy is
to be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. The Bible says,
"What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from
God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?"
Testimony from my father in the
Lord...
Years ago, a couple let my wife
and me use their beautiful, beach-front home in Hawaii for a vacation. It was
an experience we could never have afforded, and we enjoyed it immensely. We
were told, "Use it just like it's yours," so we did! We swam in the
pool, ate the food in the refrigerator, used the bath towels and dishes, and
even jumped on the beds in fun! But we knew all along that it wasn't really
ours, so we took special care of everything. We enjoyed the benefits of using
the home without owning it.
Our culture says, "If you
don't own it, you won't take care of it." But Christians live by a higher
standard: "Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I
can." The Bible says, "those who are trusted with something valuable
must show they are worthy of that trust." Jesus often referred to life as a
trust and told many stories to illustrate this responsibility toward God.
In
the story of the talents, a businessman entrusts his wealth to the care of his
servants while he's away. When he returns, he evaluates each servant's
responsibility and rewards them accordingly. The owner says, "Well done,
good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put
you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness."
At the end of your life on
earth you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what
God entrusted to you. That means everything you do, even simple daily chores,
has eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises
three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given God's affirmation: He will
say, "Good job! Well done!" Next, you will receive a promotion and be
given greater responsibility in eternity: "I will put you in charge of
many things." Then you will be honoured with a celebration: "Come and
share your Master's happiness."
The more God gives you, the
more responsible he expects you to be.
Most people fail to realize
that money is both a test and a trust from God. God uses finances to teach us
to trust him, and for many people, money is the greatest test of all. God
watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. The Bible says, "If
you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true
riches of heaven?"
This is a very important truth.
God says there is a direct relationship between how I use my money and the
quality of my spiritual life. How I manage my money ("worldly
wealth") determines how much God can trust me with spiritual blessings
("true riches"). Let me ask you: Is the way you manage your money
preventing God from doing more in your life? Can you be trusted with spiritual
riches?
Jesus said, "From everyone
who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been
entrusted with much, much more will be asked.' Life is a test and a trust, and
the more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.
THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder: Life is a test
and a trust.
Verse to Remember: "Unless
you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones.” Luke
I6:l0a (NLT)
Question to Consider: What has
happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from God? What are the
greatest matters God had entrusted to me?
==Written by: Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) ===
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