LIVE FULL BUT DIE EMPTY
All through history and contemporary times, people have used figurative expressions to describe life. Sages, philosophers, writers, poets,statesmen and artisans have variously described life based on their individual worldwide and unique experiences. One of the expressions they have used is the metaphorical allusions to life.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes a subject by asserting that it is the same as another otherwise unrelated object. Some people say that life is a battle and because that metaphor shapes their world view, they become combative and sometimes brutal. Some say life is an adventure and because that metaphor shapes their world view, they are explorers and risk takers.
Some say that life is a university and because that metaphor shapes their world view,they are never graduating students whom life - a hard-nose school teacher- takes them through a regimented curriculum to gain invaluable experience. Some say that life is a race and because that metaphor shapes their world view, they give everything they have got, strip down, run hard, put up with anything along the way, plow through a litany of hostility, and keep their eyes on the exhilarating finish line. And some say that life is a mist and because that metaphor shapes their world view, they are in a perceptual rat-race for fame and fortune. And they think fame and fortune equate to living a full and effective life.
But is it possible to 'Live full and Die Empty', and have you thought about what that could mean?'
Switch on your imagination. Let's travel to the future.
You have waited for this event for years. Everything you have accomplished in life pales into insignificance compared to it: It can't be compared to your certificates from the best institutions ; it can't be compared to your properties in choice cities; and it can't be compared to even your charming spouse and adorable grandchildren.
The auditorium is decked in opulence, and is packed full with people across the world-people who hold you dear in their hearts, and whom you also hold dear in your heart. It's a bright morning, but the dimmed lights in the auditorium cast a sort of blurred luminance on the faces of your guests who are all dressed to fit your event. Music that creates the mood for the even breathes from speakers hid in the acoustic ceiling.
The atmosphere is solemn. Every where is quiet. The procession begins. Your guests all rise to celebrate your life. The procession then winds down to the podium at the front of the auditorium. On the podium is a table beautifully dressed in purple satin and white lace. At the centre of the table is a box- the only focus of everyone in the auditorium. And in the box is you - dead!
Would you live differently if you had another opportunity? Would you ditch the stubborn illusion of longevity and embrace life's brevity? Would you live intentionally, by design, with a sense of urgency, and predicated on priorities? What if you had just one chance to re-write the pages of your life?
I took you to that imaginary auditorium because I wanted you to see how living with the end in mind can cause you to think about the way you live.
- We Must Live Intentionally:
One way to live intentionally is to live by 'design'. Bereavement was the satellite navigator that pointed me back to my design.
Let me tell you how that happened. As a child, I saw life in a very different perspective. My thoughts were different then. My life had a turn around when I watched my mom lying dead and strong like plateau. It was then I knew that there is more to life than just existing.
There's joy like the kiss on our cheek by a cool, evening wind; and peace- like the caress of our feet by fluffy, green grass; and satisfaction - like the smile of a rainbowed sky to our face, when we live intentionally, when we express the 'Manufacturer's' built-in design bespoke to us.
Ephesians 2:10 says "We are God's workmanship..." That word, workmanship, in Greek is 'poi-ema.' It means something that is made. It carries the connotation of a work of art.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT..
Do you have unrealized dreams that you have not taken action to fulfill?
What do you want to be remembered for?
Are you living full?
God created us for a purpose and we must consciously live out this purpose. He had earmarked an assignment for us to complete and this we must do to glorify Him and bless mankind. We have to empty ourselves of the reserves of God. Thank you @liltom for this edifying post. God bless you
Amen and bless you too.