"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that" James 4:13-15
Life: the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. Or at least that's what Merriam Webster's dictionary tells us. But what about the old sayings such as 'Life is what you make it" or Earl Nightingale's "Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us". Still, perhaps no human said it better than Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump: 'Life is like a box of chocolates- You never know what your gonna get". Now from the outside looking in, you would discern that at least 2 of these man-proposed statements are way off base. One quote claims life is in our hands. WE control our fate. The other phrase indicates life is destined based on our emotions towards it. What will happen will happen, but we can still control it to an extent. And thirdly, Life is random and impossible of being predetermined. With three different interpretations differing, excluding the physical definition provided by Mr. Webster, what in the world is LIFE??
Let's categorize our three theories:
Theory A: Life is what you make it
Theory B: Our life depends on our attitudes, or the way we perceive
Theory C: Life is random and impossible to determine
If life is what you make it, we are in control. So what does God say on this subject:
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
God trumps the world, God controls life. Also if overcoming our dwelling doesn't get the red out of your eye, let's look here:
We do not expect to understand fully the purpose for our trials until our Lord calls us home to be with Him. But we do know that He loves us too much to harm us, and that He is far more concerned with our welfare than we are. God's choices are always right. He is capable of carrying out any project to a successful conclusion without the possibility of fault or failure. Nothing in His universe happens by chance or accident. For every effect there is a cause. God "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory" Ephesians 1:11-12
God is in CONTROL. The blueprints have been set long before the foundation of the world, all we have to do is listen to the wisdom of Christ dwelling within our hearts.
Theory B means well, but comes across wishy-washy. What happens will happen and you just need to be optimistic you little bundle of joy! Another simple no; because everything happens "according to His will."
And then good ol' lovable Forrest with his household-acknowledged phrase. Theory C gives no attribution to God, and also no direction in life. For the practicing disciple, all things should work to praise God.
Who is right? The answer is a swift NO ONE. Unfortunately, none of these men (or women depending on who made the first conjecture) are correct. God provides life. "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away"(Job 1:21) as our brother Job insinuated in the Old Testament. Being a living sacrifice gives God all the glory. Life is what God makes it(which was a gift from the Lord from the beginning) and it's up to us to be the salt of the earth. Lift your eyes up to the Lord, and let EVERYONE know where your help comes from! Allow Christ to speak through you, and deliver the Gospel that breathes life into nomadic hearts.
God Bless,
Hank ☨
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