Why Are You Living Your Life Like You Are Right Now?

Churches love gimmicks. They often jump on the bandwagon when something becomes popular. They will "church-e-ize" just about any popular fad.

Take for example the fad of "Living Like You Were Dying." This topic has become a country song and cause for numerous Youtube downloads. Churches will use it to get people to tell what they would do. Of course, it is a gimmick. I don't believe you can tell what you would do if you are not practicing it now. We think of ourselves grandly. We think of ourselves going out in a blaze of glory. I have sat with so many people who have heard that they have cancer and have only a short time to live. Most of them don't do anything more than what they have been doing until they die.

So, to change this gimmick a little bit I would like to ask the following question: How would you live your life if you knew you had thirty more years to live? Or, how about this one: Why are you living your life like you are right now?

Each of us has a certain number of days on this planet. They may be many but they are finite. Our lives will have meant little to the world or anyone else if we take the path of least resistance each day. Is there more to life than what you are living?

Years ago I got a chance to preach and I discovered I liked it. I asked the Lord if He wanted me to pursue this as a life calling. (I was already in the ministry as a staff member of a large church.) God told me that this was my calling. I asked Him if I could preach like someone I admired. He asked me very clearly, "Are you willing to drink from the cup I have had him drink from?" A little to hastily I said, "Yes."

Thus began my quest to become a pastor. I assumed that God would have a church call and beg me to pastor them. I started praying each morning and each night that this would happen. I prayed for eight years and three months before a church called to make me their pastor.

I assumed I was prepared to pastor because I had God's calling. I wondered why others got the opportunity that I didn't. I begged and argued with God. He patiently waited for me to be ready. I thought my time was running out. I was forty-one years old when I started pastoring. I went to a small church and made a significantly lower salary than I did as a staff member.

I thank God that He took me through all this. I didn't like it at the time. I could have stayed as a staff member of one of the best churches in America but I am glad that I followed God's calling.

My advice to anyone who is dismayed with their answer to why you are living the life you are right now is this: Ask God what He has for you! It may be hard. It may take years of prayer. It may mean your salary decreases. It may mean great hardship. But it will be exciting!

Following God's calling will not allow you to be mediocre. You may never be known nationally. Yet, you will change lives in ways that will give your life significance. You will know the true joy from doing what you were created for: giving God glory.

Say, "Yes," to God and start praying. I would love to hear of your journey. If you don't feel comfortable commenting here, email me. My email address is: prentismcgoldrick@thalialynn.com or you can just go to our website, www.thalialynn.com or www.thalialynn.tv and click on the place where my email address is posted.