“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”
― Natalie Babbitt
“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”
– Ephesians 4:1
This song below is by one of my favourite bands. It’s good to ask ourselves every now and then, ‘am I really living life or am I just going through the motions?’
“Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.”
– C. S. Lewis
Life is short and time does not last forever. We are given opportunities and we have to choose whether or not we will take them. Sometimes we even have to create our own opportunities. It can be incredibly daunting but it’s not nearly as daunting as the thought of letting your life pass aimlessly by.
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for every season in our lives. I believe there is a time to wait and a time to act. Our whole lives cannot be spent waiting. We cannot wait til life shows up on our doorstep. We have to get on the boat and let out the sails. Then we can see where the wind will take us. Circumstances can’t do anything for us if we never put ourselves out there.
A life lived in fear is a life not lived.
Faith is what brings you to life. Doing something you never believed you could do. Achieving something you believed impossible. Doing something that frightened you. Overcoming. Allowing yourself to change and grow, rather than be hindered by fear of the unknown or fear of rejection. Trusting that even though you can’t see how things will pan out, you’ll get through it.
I think survival instinct kicks in. We just want to survive and so we put up a protective barrier. It may mean never going places we haven’t been before or it may mean distancing ourselves from those we love for fear of getting hurt. Merely surviving is not living.
To really live takes risk. You will never know how life will work out and the sooner we learn that, the more able we will be to really live.
As a Christians, we don’t need to be afraid of what life throws at us, because we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). God promises, “I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8).
And so I say, “I trust in you, O Lord, I say, ‘ You are my God. My times are in your hands’.” (Psalm 31:14-15a). I will not hold onto my life for fear of uncertainty. I will not harbour my time in fear and doubt, when I can place my life and time in your hands. You did wonders with this universe. I surrender myself to you. Make wonders through me.
Don’t be afraid to fail. As that old saying goes, “Don’t be afraid of growing slowly; be only afraid of staying still”.
Take the chance.
Today only happens once.
One Road Less Travelled 