Real LIFE

Hello All! I have a war raging within me today. No not emotional or mental (okay maybe I've always got a mental war - but that's a subject for another day). This one is physical - the healthy thingies are fighting with the unhealthy thingies... I've gotta cold. So, if this post makes no sense at all, I'll blame the drugs :-).

What's real life?

I believe there's a huge difference between existing and living! So many times we seem to choose the former over the later - to just "get by." Now, I know we all have our off days - but that's not what I'm talking about. I see so many who day after day seem to settle for just getting through another day.

I know this world can throw some pretty rough stuff our way. Yet, I see examples of people (almost weekly) who face far tougher situations then I do and yet they have learned how to truly live. They have made the choice that regardless of what life gives them - they are going to live life to the full.

Jesus talked about this kind of life (it's one of my favorite Bible verses - John 10:10). He said one of the reasons He came to earth was so that we could have real life. So, what does that look like? Well, people have written entire books on this subject, but let me boil it down to four words (I don't claim that I've summed up the meaning of life with these four words, but it's a start):

L ove
I ntegrity
F orgive
E ternal

Love is a decision more than an emotion. When we learn to truly love others, we will build relationships that will see us through the good and the bad days of life.

Integrity is also a decision. It's choosing to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. This gets at being authentic - admiting when we're wrong, when we need help, when we need forgiveness.

Learning to forgive others is incredible freeing for you. So many people walk around with the smoothering weight of unforgiveness against others who don't even know there's an issue. Our unforgiveness "kills" us and has little to no affect on the other person. Learning to forgive removes our burden.

The best life I could imagine is one without all of the garbage of this world, and goes on forever - eternal life. The only way I know to have this is through a peronal relationship with Jesus. Here again, there's so many things I could say to try and convince you of this truth, but that's not really my point. You'll either believe this part or you won't. I'm just sharing how I've discovered real life and since I believe this is all true it would be rude of me not to share this with you.

There you have it - at least a starting point towards having a real life!

Want to see an example of guy who could have let the "trials" of life get him down, but instead choose to have a real life? Check out the videos from Nick Vujicic...

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/media.htm