Skip to main content

"This Is The Life". Is It?


Cheryl and I were recently walking along the beach in Washington.  Just steps from the beach were some very nice town homes that provided the occupants with some wonderful views of the Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountain range.

Some of the townhomes had big windows facing the water.  Others had balconies.  The units on the ground floor had a patio area that faced the water.  As we walked by, I noticed a wrought iron plaque on one of the patio walls that read:  “This Is The Life”.

As I contemplated it, I was tempted to agree.  With such views to look at on daily basis, it could be argued that “This Is The Life”.  Yet, as I walked on, I wondered how “The Life” is really defined or measured?  Is it what we have?  Is it how much we have?

The Apostle Paul, from his own experiences, wrote about some things that are crucial to answering those questions:

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:11-13)

You could wonder if Paul had just learned to adjust his lifestyle to whatever economic situation he was experiencing.  But I don’t think that is the case since he referenced, in another place, to being content in areas that had nothing to do with having plenty or being in want.  He wrote:  “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Was Paul just able to rise above his circumstances?  Or, did he simply not allow himself to be brought down by them?    Maybe it was just a matter of resigning himself to his fate. 

None of those scenarios seem to really get to the heart of what Paul was trying to communicate.  In difficulties and troubles, whether economic, social, cultural or religious or even stemming from his own personal weaknesses, Paul had learned to be content.  This learning was most likely built upon a growing trust in the wisdom and goodness of God, the One who had placed him in those very circumstances.  Furthermore, Paul recognized that his ongoing ability to be content was based on the strength that the Lord provided.

Without actually having used the words “This Is The Life”, I think Paul actually described what “The Life” is really all about.  It’s about trusting God for whatever circumstances He has placed us in and it’s also about living in those circumstances by the strength that the Lord provides! 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Year Trash or Treasure?

You probably know the old saying:  “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.  I am not going to try to prove or disprove it, just look at it from a different angle. Cheryl and I were recently walking on a beach in Florida .  A man was walking along with a bag and was picking up trash and putting it in the bag.  Was he picking up things of value? We also saw a different man walking along the same beach with a metal detector.  He would swing it back and forth and would occasionally stop and dig in the sand.  Was he looking for things of value? Both were intent.  Both were focused.  Both were diligent. I’m guessing that the one picking up trash was not looking for things of value.  I’m also guessing that, by picking up trash, he was valuing the beauty of the beach and didn’t want the trash to mar it.  The one with the metal detector, I’m guessing that he was not looking for metallic items of trash but was looking for...

Don't Get Tripped Up

I do enjoy traveling and I keep an eye out for good prices. I also enjoy looking at trends in travel. For a while, the travel industry focused their advertising on taking those trips that might be on your bucket list.   That faded a bit and I started seeing ads about taking the trip of a lifetime. I guess both those campaigns have been waning since I’ve been seeing information about taking an “epic” trip.   Recently I noticed the phrase “unforgettable trip” in advertising.   More recently, I’ve been seeing promotions about taking “sustainable” trips and even “reconnecting to our roots” trips. As I’ve been pondering these advertising campaigns, I thought I’d consider what their ideas encompass and then look at them from a spiritual perspective: 1.   “ Bucket list trips ” are based on a list of the experiences a person might hope to have before they “kick the bucket” (i.e. die).   While I can certainly come up with a bucket list of trips, I’m thinking a bu...

Above My Pay Grade!

We like things that we can study, know and understand.  Sometimes we find it difficult to accept that there are things that might be hidden from our knowledge and understanding. The Scriptures indicate that there are some things hidden by design:  “The Lord our God keeps certain things hidden. But he makes other things known to us and to our children forever. He does it so we can obey all the words of this law.”  (Deut 29:29) Some versions of the Bible translate the hidden things as “secret things”.  Regardless, there are things which have been revealed and things which are kept hidden from us and remain secret. We may chafe at having to deal with the fact that some things remain hidden, but that’s often when faith and trust come in.  The Psalmist wrote:   “O Lord , my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.”  (Ps 131:1) The Psalmist seem to realize that th...