Making the most of every day

[Mr. Rogers]

For a while now, I have been thinking a lot about what the purpose of my life is. It's a very hard question to answer, since I am so limited. I can only see so far ahead.

Recently, I have been realizing my need to just live for God every single day in everything I do. If I do this, I will not waste any time. I will be living for God even if I don't know everything about the future and even if I don't know what I am ultimately going to be doing.

So, this raises another question. What does it mean to live for God everyday? Reading the bible, praying...yes. But, God is bigger than just that. How does one live for God in everything? What does this mean?

Please give as detailed and well-explained answer as you have time for.

[c.t.,girl]

o___o hmm...helping others? taking time out of your day to just do something you don't really want to do but will make someone else happy and please them(depending on what it is though)? sharing the word of God with everyone you meet? uhhhh...hmm...meditating on the word after you read it?...reading the bible with other ppl? uuuh...just showing respect for everyone and being polite and stuff? XD that's all i can think of atm...

[Tsukuyomi]

Hmmm, in a way... everything you do is for God I know it sounds a bit wierd, but that what it seems like to me We celebrate him by living our lives. That's what he wants for us to do. Everything in our everyday life is a reminder of God. The only thing we can do is appreciate them and aknowledge them. Hmmm, did I stray from the subject at hand ^_^;

[Sammy Boy]

I think part of the trick is to often remind ourselves why we do the things we do. If we find that we've slipped into the habit of doing things that are really a waste of time, then such reflection will hopefully correct and steer us back to the right course.

I also pray that the Holy Spirit empowers me to remind myself this way, for I believe without Him I would not capable of this.

To me, there is no distinction between the sacred and the ordinary - it is the attitude and underlying motive that makes the difference. People can do what is sacred for selfish gains, or do the ordinary out of love for God and others.

At times I wonder how my drawing commitments or building LEGO models will fit into the bigger picture (apart from using it as a means for rest), but then I am reminded God can use the most mundane of things in the world for His purposes. Already I have met a couple of Christians on a LEGO forum I visit from time to time, and I believe God will use my drawing skills (however limited) someday combined with my studies for some ministry.

So now I just think about doing what I can and when I can for a future purpose. And if down the road I find that my "training" is not used in the way I think it would have been, I do not count it my loss to have learnt new skills and more about myself and the people I've interacted with in the process.

[mitsuki lover]

One book that would be a lot of help for you in this area is The Practice of the
Presence of God by Brother Lawerence.
Read it.It is very helpful at reminding us that it is the every day things that are most important.

[Doubleshadow]

So, this raises another question. What does it mean to live for God everyday? Reading the bible, praying...yes. But, God is bigger than just that. How does one live for God in everything? What does this mean?

The manual is always a good place to start.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

You live your life for God by making Him the focus of everything you do. Everything that you do is in one way or another for Him. How does one accomplish this? This is my take on it.

A Christian is, among other things, a servant to the Lord. A servant lives to serve their lord and carryout his will. The get up to serve him, they organize their whole day around seeing to the needs and wants of their lord, putting themselves second. They wait for the slightest command from their lord, trying to anticipate his desires, and go out and do immediately whatever it is they are to do. They do whatever he asks and do not rest until is is finished. They make sure they honor their lord and do nothing to shame his name since their conduct reflects on him because they are part of his household and therefore claim his name. Servants are often dedicated enough to die for their lord, whether he asks or not, to protect him or his ideals.

Since you're His servant, His Will should be yours. For a Christian serving the Lord, start with Micah 6:8, and remember God's Will is that no one should be lost. Live with that in mind, and arrange your life such that people can see you live for Christ; the words you say, how you spend your time, your attitude towards what you do, and how you treat other people.

Although it's a little embarrassing to admit, that point was really driven home to me when I learned to what lengths samurai and other vassals would sometimes go to be good servants. If they can be that dedicated to a person, who is flawed, will lose eventually to enemies or time, and die someday, why can't I be that dedicated to the One I claim as my Lord and who won't fail and can't be beat?

I read the Bible to make sure I know how and why I should do what I do, and then do it all the time. It's not a series of little decisions, its a mindset.

For example, you see someone you don't know in the bathroom, so furious that he is crying. As a servant of God, bearing His name, what would He have you do?

I had a friend in this exact situation, who stopped and talked with that person. The person told her later, the whole story, that she was a recent divorcee, abused all her life, homeless, and was about to kill herself and had been praying to God asking Him to send someone to stop her. My friend got some churches to take up a love offering for her and get her job. She still keeps in contact with her, to keep her going.

What would most people have done for a crying stranger?

[mitsuki lover]

I think though with something like that you have to also be careful to respect the person's privacy.Not everyone likes to have a complete stranger walk up to them and ask them what the matter is if they appear to be overly
emotional.You have to be careful not to step where you shouldn't.It does take a good deal of common sense discernment.

[Mr. Rogers]

I think though with something like that you have to also be careful to respect the person's privacy.Not everyone likes to have a complete stranger walk up to them and ask them what the matter is if they appear to be overly
emotional.You have to be careful not to step where you shouldn't.It does take a good deal of common sense discernment.

The worst they can do is tell you to go away...

[Nate]

It does take a good deal of common sense discernment.

Last I checked God was greater than so-called human "common sense."

After all, "common sense" would tell us that putting five hundred dollars in a church offering plate is a lot more than putting two cents in.

Jesus said the exact opposite when He observed the woman at the temple.

[Doubleshadow]

I think though with something like that you have to also be careful to respect the person's privacy.Not everyone likes to have a complete stranger walk up to them and ask them what the matter is if they appear to be overly
emotional.You have to be careful not to step where you shouldn't.It does take a good deal of common sense discernment.

Allow me to point out she felt convicted to do so.