Just the Best Life

"What anyone else dares to boast about- I am speaking as a fool- I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." II Corinthians 11 : 21 - 30

I know you're tired. I am tired. Homework. Stress. Life.

If a random person asks me how I'm doing, I will probably say "I'm doing well; how are you?" even if I'm not doing so great: it would take too long to explain why I'm not. So when my friends ask me how I'm doing, I'll probably pause for a little bit and decide if I'm going to tell them the truth and how much of it. That is, when I'm stressed out...and I know for most of us it is more often than not. "I am tired...and stressed...and I still have a lot to do...." They nod, for they understand and go through the exact same thing.

We like to brag about how our life is so hard. Whose TA is worse; who has the most tests this week; whose schedule is the worst. Complaining has become a contest. Sometimes I wonder a huge "Why?". Why is life so hard? And we chose most of this out of free will...these next few years of our lives when we will sleep little, be hungry, and still have to worry about everything else in life. 

But God called us to be here. Wherever we are in life, we probably had the dream of becoming, and God has fulfilled that dream. Jesus came to give us life, and life to the full, thus giving us the best possible life that there is (John 10:10). Is it difficult? Yes. But it is so good.

I thought about this when reflecting on this past week where I probably complained too much about my workload. But I thought about my classmates and friends who I live with and their attitude towards certain classes. Yes, such-and-such class is boring; while another is so difficult to comprehend: does this mean we must hate our situation? Do we not have good times through the struggles and even "have fun" together while working through that struggle? Things don't have to be that bad, you know. Peer pressure may make us inclined to hate something, but think of what can happen if you actually enjoyed it. Life becomes less of a chore and more of the joy it was meant to be. You are living the dream, remember. 

I think we need to think about the positives in our life more: what are we grateful for? This relieves stress and again, makes the things we might hate to be enjoyable. This is in fact the best way to not let life overwhelm us. It sure beats complaining and is more economical than getting a good 10 hour night sleep. Seriously, we are so privileged to be a small part of the show we get to see God put on. The concern about what we are doing all the time needs to stop because, as Ryan said at Large Group: "It's not about what we're doing, it's about what we get to see God do." What we are pursuing now is so small compared to what God is planning to include us in, and if we were not so selfish with our time, we could see that. 

We have a duty to be thankful for this life we live, this so generous gift that was given to us. It's not just about getting through hardship anymore, we have to be thankful because of the fact that we are such a small part and get to live the best possible life. We must have a response of thanks for these blessings, and that response is gratefulness. But it doesn't stop there: we need to change the world around us so they too can have the best possible life. Positiveness bleeds over. A smile is contagious. Enjoying homework...that might be a little bit of a stretch, but can you imagine how our campus can be shaped? There is a world out there who is sick, and tired, and struggling. They deserve and need this "Dream Life" that we live in, and we are the ones responsible for making them see that. 

This is the time. It's not later, and it's not for someone else. If the event comes that sacrifices have to be made, then that is what we're called for. It might be time to sacrifice a night of studying, or a night's rest, or any of those things that you hold dear. But ultimately, I think it's time for an attitude of thanks and a summation of blessings. If attitude changes, and we surrender to being God's part of a plan by sacrificing what we need to , and at the same time let that bleed over to others, I believe that great things will happen. And these things are just little things that will eventually snowball into an avalanche. Think about how great that avalanche can be. 

Let's start off with acknowledging and sharing the great things in our life. It's just the best possible life God could have given us.