In the Hands of a Hungry Pilgrim

The Gospel, the source of truly abundant life found in the grace and work of Jesus, shines a bright new perspective over a person’s life experiences. The scribes, or experts in the law, would have had an extensive knowledge of the law — but for those teachers who were being introduced into the kingdom of God, this knowledge would be turned into a treasure trove of enlightened wisdom. The Gospel would have magnified and focused their understanding to the point where it would have enriched the spiritual lives of others. And in a similar fashion so it goes with you — the transforming power of the Gospel has sanctified your experiences, good and bad, giving them value in the light of the truth. Things new and old are now yours to share.

At the risk of sounding like I’m contradicting myself, I’m going to propose that you have not been placed on this earth to tend to the spiritual destiny of those around you. Let me expound. Your life will have an impact on those in your sphere of influence, no doubt. But this is not the reason you get out of bed every morning. Your life is “to God”. You live for him, and in living for him, the sweetness that comes from the expressions of your love for Jesus is what will waft like the luring smell of mamma’s fresh baked muffins to your neighbors. Some will be drawn by the life you are living for him, and others will, sadly, be repelled. And that’s not on you, but you do carry a legacy to leave by living for him.

What would you say your life exemplifies? TV documentaries are made of men who are great in their own right, self-made men. But while we may be celebrated, may we never be elevated; instead, may we increasingly become examples of his great love and enduring faithfulness. We are God-made men and women. My hope is that my life’s epitaph not expatiate, “How great was his love and faithfulness to God”, but rather, “How great was the faithfulness and love of God on display in his life.” May our lives always point others to his greatness, not to our attempt at our own. Our posterity hungers for this — the enduring memory of a life touched by the reality of God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

New England Puritan Cotton Mather wrote, “My usefulness was the last idol I was willing to part with”. I wonder, is the Lord more looking for availability than for profitability in us? Does ROI drive the kingdom of God? Or is it more important that we are simply willing to stay the course, make the time, show up, and be there ready to share what has been deposited in us? What do you bring to the table? I’d answer by saying, you bring something very important — you bring you. Paul understood the importance of this in the context of his calling; and while our callings are not on par with the great and humble apostle, this principle still applies: God has called you to impact the lives of others with your life lived. You are a necessary part of someone’s life.

With age comes not only wisdom but also gray hairs and body aches. We may be tempted to interpret the aging of our bodies as an indicator of our usefulness, but the two are actually indirectly proportional. We gain a certain wisdom that comes with a loosening of our grip on this life in anticipation of the next. And the wisdom gained from this numbering of our days is for the sake of posterity. Why don’t we lose heart? Because the increasing glow of the treasure within us far outshines any physical prowess we may have attained to and is of far greater impact and benefit than what we gain from a fine-tuned physique. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better. So don’t lose heart.