journey onWord with us

Airplanes and cell phones are becoming an irritation to me. I did it again. As I was sitting at the gate waiting for my plane to depart, I realized my cell phone was missing. My wife and I had been talking to someone on my way to the airport, and I placed the phone on the console. But alas, my wife to the rescue!  She actually got the airport personnel to help me retrieve my phone just before taking off.  Other than having to go through security twice, everything worked out great.  I am glad that my life will not be defined by my airport-cell phone adventures. <insert short self-deprecating chuckle here> But my life and yours will most certainly be defined by some attribute, and I wonder what it will be.

Just this morning I was involved in the dedication of a prayer garden. It was dedicated to a friend whose life was absolutely defined by prayer. In the year since her passing there has been a book printed of her prayer letters, and those letters give incredible insight into her life.  In the last decade of her life, with constant sickness balanced by a deep relationship with God, she persevered.  A quote from her last prayer letter, struck me as indicative of her life. “I need extended time and a constant communication with Him through the day”. Her prayer letter defined her.

Since all of us can be defined, what are the dominant passions in your life that are in full view of everyone around you? It would be easy to just look at personality traits, but let’s narrow the scope to our spiritual journey. As Christ followers, we know that our lives leave an imprint. God has uniquely gifted us to serve, and our hearts should be sensitive to His design. Fulfilling His design, and creating a great life definition starts with being a fully devoted follower of Christ.  If we will live fully devoted to our Savior with a surrendered heart, others will be able to easily define who we are.

If you have walked in faith for very long, you will agree that disillusionment and life’s battles try their best to define us. Persevering in the race God has marked out for us can only happen as we keep our eyes on Jesus. But it will not be easy. How is the definition of your life evolving? Does the “you “ that others see match with what “you” want to be defined by? Remember, as we often say, “yesterday ended at midnight”. That truth offers both an encouragement and a challenge.  Our challenge is to live the surrendered life in the series of today’s he gifts us, and then get back up each new day and live it again.  And no matter what our today was like, with true repentance and a new sunrise, God gifts us a new day to make count for Him.

Cell phones and airports help define some of my weaker moments. But the real me (and the real you) will ultimately be defined by our relationship with Christ. Simply living every day fully devoted will build a definition that pleases God. My friend endured through extreme sickness, and her life legacy will forever be defined by prayer. How will yours be defined?