February 04, 2013

A Full Life

Twenty-five year old freestyle snowmobile rider Caleb Moore died from injuries in an accident at the Winter X Games. Many of those being interviewed about the young man reflect, “He lived his life to the fullest.” Our church body recently lost an 80 year-old Christian stalwart, and we too would say that he lived a good and impactful life. Interestingly, the 55 years age difference between the two doesn’t change our view of a full life. There was and is grief associated with Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, but it is comforting to remember that He lived His lift to the fullest. . “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

1 comment:

Steve Corey said...

Gail;

-----I hope nobody tries to say at my funeral that I lived my life to its fullest. I haven’t always tried to live it that way. Although mostly I have, at times I just laid on the couch loathing even the sensations of my own existence. I am glad I got that figured out, somebody might want to say at my funeral.
-----It is sufficient for me that I’ve lived my life towards the one who lived His life to the fullest. Even at that, though, I’ve often only meandered towards Him. Knowing all of my failures and mistakes and misplaced desires and the people they’ve hurt and confused and misdirected, I can not say I’ve lived my life even sufficiently.
-----I just try to see myself in the real place I am with the real need I have. Then hoping for the fullest to which the Lord will take me, what I do try to my fullest rather than the living, which I can not, is the confessing which I can. “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:10)
-----Consequently, what does make me feel my life is its fullest is the forgiveness I receive, the whiteness I’m being made, and the righteousness I am, not that I’m any of that myself, but that I’m seen that way by God, and so His word is in me. With the pressure thus turned off, doing right streams from the heart simpler and truer, and I can honestly say I‘ve lived my life fuller.
-----Then, what can be said at my funeral is that God used to His fullest even my faults, while I dwelt securely in the cleft of the rock.

Love you all,
Steve Corey