In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. -Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV)
There’s this not so nice satire poster of a sinking ship, with the text under it:
Perhaps the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others.
Though the purpose of it is to be biting, it may also be truer than its creator knew. Through the bible, we read stories of lives we definitely don’t want to emulate, and others with lives we do.
When you look at Noah, Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Joseph, David, Job, or Saul/Paul, you see clear examples of ways to live and not to live. But you also see very relatable, human people who are just as flawed as us, and sometimes as strong and faithful as we would love to be.
Our lives have ups and downs, gleaming highs and shadowy, painful lows. But if we think of our lives as stories in the making, just as those chronicled in the bible, what story would our lives tell? Where we were high, did God recede into the background of our hearts? When we were low, was God suddenly remembered?
Our lives are not just our own, but walking testimonies to how God works through us and in us…or how we deny and stop His work through and in us. As we walk and travel and climb, what signs are we showing others of God’s place in our lives?
Don’t get discouraged and think God’s not there when times are tough. Let go and let Him help you up and get back on the right road.
Let’s make our life stories signposts to others, showing them that God is with us every step of the way.
Today’s soundtrack
Big Daddy Weave’s “My Story” says that our lives would be beacons of hope, showing how God works through all our peaks and valleys to His glory.
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