Life Is the In-Between

A few days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine who was talking about what they had scheduled for that day. It was one of those covnersations we often have where we each talk about how busy we are and how much we have going on (I think it’s often a prideful ‘one upper’ kinda thing in reality). We were in the middle of that typical and casual conversation when it hit me…

Life is what happens in between.

Really, our lives are what we do while waiting for the next opportunity to show Jesus to the people around us.

Maybe it’s better said…

Life is a means to an end. Not the end of a means.
Life is a resource to be used, not a chore to be done.
Life is an opportunity for purpose, not a task to complete.

If you and I live our lives the way Jesus did, we go from place to place, person to person, and task to task with purpose. We use each environment we’re in and each relationship we build for the grander purpose of changing the Kingdom and the eternities of others.

I can’t begin to imagine what would happen if we started to do that (me included).

It would literally turn the world upside down.

I love the way Paul lived his life as he traveled and used every circumstance as an opportunity.

Here’s what Luke writes in Acts 17:6 (ESV)

And when they could not find them,they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

Thoughts? Share in the comments.

[For more about using your life, read this post.]


Comments

2 responses to “Life Is the In-Between”

  1. This post made me think about a gravestone and a conversation I had when I was 21. I know, weird .. right? Bear with me. Between the year we are born and the year we die there is a dash. The dash represents our life.

    Our life isn’t defined by the day we are born or the day we die, it’s defined by what we do in between that time.

    I always wonder how I want to be remembered when I die. I always think about the dash and hope that my life will be recognized not by the fact I’ve lived and died but by how I left my mark.

  2. Jonathan…just got around to reading this. So much of my writing focus for the past 6-7 years has been on this subject. You are right on! Great insights.

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