What Does a Life Worth Living Require?

When people embark on a professional career, they typically have one primary goal in sight: Success. They want to prove their skills at their chosen vocation and then be rewarded accordingly, not only financially but also with promotions, and influence. They want to make their mark and be recognized for it.

 

There comes a time in most people’s working careers, however, when a major shift occurs. The pursuit of success becomes a different quest – for significance. They want to leave a meaningful legacy after they retire or pass from this life. They’d like to feel significant, to have achieved a life worth living.

 

But what constitutes significance? Does it mean leaving a vast inheritance? Giving enough money to an institution to deserve having one’s name displayed on a building? Having an obituary that takes up two entire columns in the local newspaper?

 

I thought about this recently while attending the memorial service for a longtime friend. I met Gene when I joined the staff of CBMC (Christian Business Men’s Connection) more than 40 years ago, and he was truly one of a kind – a master of puns in the silliest sense of the word, but also a person devoted to Jesus Christ and with a passion for offering aid to the poor and disenfranchised in whatever ways possible.

 

The church where Gene’s life was celebrated wasn’t large, but it was jammed. Standing room only. Those attending represented a wide range of demographics: white, African-American, mixed race, wealthy, not wealthy at all, old and young. The one common denominator was their love for this man who is now with the Lord and their appreciation for his often-selfless service and ministry of mercy in their lives.

 

Although a musician, writer, and a noted collector of “neat stuff,” Gene never achieved what one might consider celebrity status. Few of the city’s “movers and shakers” were present for the service. And yet, hearing the moving testimonies, listening to laughter as some of his endearing quirks – including his unique sense of humor – were remembered, and seeing visible evidence of the many people whose lives he had touched in the name of Jesus Christ, I couldn’t help thinking that his was a life of true significance.

 

We become enthralled with the famous – even those who achieve fame simply for being famous. But significance doesn’t require being listed in Who’s Who, or having a lengthy bio on Wikipedia, or having a street named after you. Rather, it’s making a genuine, even life-changing difference in the lives of people with whom we have the opportunity to interact. 

 

In Gene’s case, this included being a one-man “clearing house” for impoverished individuals who came to his church seeking help. Experience had taught him the best assistance isn’t always a handout but sometimes offering a hand-up instead. And in the process, introducing many of them to the Savior who not only could save their souls but also guide them to productive, rewarding lives.

 

Proverbs 3:28 teaches, “Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’ – when you already have it with you.” My friend was an expert in heeding this admonition, doing his best to serve as a soldier in the war on poverty. As he often said, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. And maybe one day, he’ll own the pond.”

 

Many of us on occasion find ourselves wondering what it will be like to take our final breath on Earth and suddenly find ourselves in the presence of the Lord. We do know what Jesus said about those who fulfill the calling God gave to them: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). I’m certain this is what Gene heard upon arrival.

 

Despite biblical assurances, it's not uncommon even for folks with implicit faith in Jesus Christ to ponder their eventual death with some trepidation. As the ole “theologian” Woody Allen once quipped, “I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” But if we believe what the Scriptures teach, death in this life is simply what I like to term “stepping to the other side of eternity.” 

It’s when God our Father extends His arms to welcome us home. This explains the curious biblical assertion that, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). 

We’ll Make That Change…Pretty Soon

From time to time companies declare they’re making significant changes to their products. Recently, for example, a prominent restaurant chain announced, “By the end of 2016, we’re removing all artificial preservatives, colors, sweeteners and flavors from our food.” Other eateries have affirmed similar steps to eliminate potentially harmful ingredients from their menus.

Commendable decisions, without doubt. Whether due to consumer pressure, good public relations, or corporate conviction after research and due diligence, businesses decide it’s in the best interests of their customers to start doing things differently. Eventually.

The question is, why the wait? We’re in the middle of 2015, and the unnamed restaurants will have dubious, if not outright harmful, additives removed within about 18 months. In the meantime, they’re suggesting we keep patronizing their stores, even though some contents of their food will remain undesirable.

Change often takes time. New procedures need to be formulated and implemented, as well as new ingredients found to ensure the desired flavor, texture and quality. The alternative would be to shutter the stores until newly developed products are ready. Rome wasn’t built in a day – and menus aren’t either, apparently.

Changes in menus, and in our lives,
sometimes take longer than desired.

My intent is not to criticize these establishments. It’s not as if their current products contain lethal poisons or disease-causing bacteria. If that were the case, waiting up to a year and a half for changes would be unacceptable. They’ve recognized a need for changes and are going about making them in a deliberate, well-thought-out manner.

But doesn’t this mirror how most of us approach life? We realize some important changes are necessary in our lives and resolve to make them – soon. “I’ll do it later, but not right now.” Maybe it’s learning to eat healthier, or to eat less. Perhaps it’s taking steps needed to overcome some type of addictive or controlling behavior. Or we might want to start something beneficial, such as learning to play a musical instrument, taking art classes, spending more time with books and less time in front of the TV, or even…reading the Bible on a regular basis.

There’s an interesting little episode in the Scriptures when action was required, but not as quickly as we might have imagined. Moses had approached the pharaoh to ask him to free the Israelites to leave Egypt and worship God. The stubborn Egyptian king repeatedly refused, resulting in a total of 10 plagues of increasing gravity descending upon the nation.

The second plague was an infestation of frogs. No one in Egypt could escape being surrounded by hopping, croaking critters. In frustration, Pharaoh summoned Moses and his brother, Aaron, saying, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices…” (Exodus 8:8). Who wouldn’t want to get rid of the pesky amphibians?

Then comes the crazy part. Probably shouting above the din of countless croaks, Moses said, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you…that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs…” To which Pharaoh, the preeminent, most revered man in all of Egypt, replied, “Tomorrow” (Exodus 8:9-10).

What? Unable to take a single step without stomping on a frog, with frogs filling every open space whether in bedrooms or hallways, even ovens and feeding troughs, Pharaoh told Moses to have the frogs evicted tomorrow! If the conversation had been in Spanish, the Egyptian monarch would have specified, “Mañana.”

Apparently Mr. Pharaoh possessed the first Round Tuit – in other words, “Whenever you can get around to it, Moses.”

Knowing our human tendency to delay doing what we know we should do immediately, God tells us in Proverbs 3:28, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.”

He is saying when important change is in order, it’s best not to postpone for later what we can accomplish sooner. In 2 Timothy 4:2 we’re told, “Be ready in season and out of season.” Writer Oswald Chambers explains, “we should ‘be ready’ whether we feel like it or not…. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.”

If you’re running a restaurant that needs to revamp ingredients for menu items, change might come more slowly than we’d like. But whenever we recognize a need for change, or to step up and take action, ASAP might be a good time frame.

The Difference One Person Can Make

Many people need not so much a handout, but rather a hand up.

Apparently this has become the age of entitlements, with many people looking to Big Brother (aka the Federal government) for deliverance from whatever plight they find themselves in.

And many of us readily presume that’s the way it should be – whether it’s care for neglected children, unemployment assistance, alleviation of poverty, finding relief from troubled relationships, or whatever the dilemma might be. “Hey, Uncle Sam: We need help over here!”

As a result, we’re inclined to collectively shrug our shoulders and conclude, “What can I do?” Surrounded by a world filled with problems, it seems like any effort on our part to help wouldn’t amount to more than the proverbial drop of water in the ocean.

Recently, however, I met a man who happily did not take that attitude. Bruce, owner of an upscale clothing store, more than 20 years ago was approached by another man with a simple request: “I need help.”

The second man, Gary, had decided he could no longer settle for the hourly-wage, manual labor job he had. He desired to provide a better life for his family, but realized doing so would involve learning some things – including, as they used to say, how to “dress for success.” He had seen the sharp-looking men’s clothes in Bruce’s store window; one morning he mustered up the courage to go in and solicit some coaching so he could dress presentably for job interviews.

Bruce wasn’t obligated to help. Gary certainly didn’t fit the mold of his accustomed clientele. But Bruce did more than help. He offered Gary some valuable do’s and don’ts about proper attire and then, at pennies on the dollar, got him started with a wardrobe that would impress prospective employers.

Fast forward more than two decades: Gary has established a successful career as a sales executive, was able to extricate his family from a near-poverty level lifestyle, and now he’s eagerly imparting secrets of his success to others.

Bruce the clothier was just one piece in Gary’s career story, but an important piece. He saw a man eager to achieve a better life and willingly presented him with tools to help in doing just that.

I referred to Gary’s story in an earlier post. The book he’s written about his journey (which I’ve been privileged to edit) will be published soon. Suffice it to say, while millions are clamoring for the attention of the impersonal, uncaring governmental machine, each of us – like Bruce – should consider how we could make a positive contribution to the life of someone in our sphere of influence.

When Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), one reason is because when we give to benefit others, we receive the joy of knowing we’ve enhanced the life of another. Having met Bruce, I know he feels that way.

The Bible also offers this admonition: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow’ – when you now have it with you” (Proverbs 3:27-28).

Who’s within your reach right now that needs a helping hand in one way or another? While the wheels of bureaucracy continue turning exceedingly slow, you might discover an opportunity to be a one-person change agent. And to not respond might deprive you of a very special blessing.