As we go into today’s content . . . Learn Well – Live Well – Love Well . . . I first want to read off a list of one-liners we’ve heard over the years. They deal with the hum-drum of life:
Same old – same old- Been there – done that (bought the T-shirt)
- Nothing new under the sun
- Do it again – and again
- Hummin’ right along
- Another day – another dollar
- Tomorrow never comes
- Don’t hold your breath
- Can’t trust anyone
- Pie-crust promises
- Where’s the beef? (that was a commercial)
- Never thought I’d see the day
- It ain’t gonna happen
- In your wildest dreams
And on go the one-liners we’ve heard in a variety of ways. All seem to speak to an emptiness, dullness, boring repetition, and rather skeptical view of life.
But life is NOT hum-drum! Therefore, let’s explore a full, exciting, fresh-every-day, and rather hopeful view of life. Will you join me?
Learn Well – Live Well – Love Well
Well, I suppose almost every person on earth ponders in some way what life is all about. If life is such a conundrum – a kind of riddle – then it’s understandable many have so few answers. But why does life sometimes feel empty, dull, boringly repetitive, causing people to be rather skeptical?
I believe solidly people all over the world long for a life that’s full, exciting, fresh-every-day, and rather hopeful. From people in high positions of fame or leadership – to those of us that fill the ranks of “every-day-citizens.” Yet, many people live a hum-drum life.
So, what are the options? How do you embrace a rich approach each day? What can you do to leave the empty, dull, boring, skepticism and launch into something full, exciting, fresh, and hopeful?
Interestingly, this desire for something more rests on a three-prong approach to living. And every person has both capacity and opportunity to enjoy all three in any position of life. Because of this, every person can – Learn Well – Live Well – Love Well.
Learn Well
Why are humans insatiably curious? Why do people poke their noses into things, anyway? What makes them want to discover or change things up? And why do people sit and dream of better ways?
Learning is something God invented and hard-wired into the human design. It’s a glorious characteristic that nurtures growth into better circumstances. A person can be a better person. The world can be a better community.
Creation is a “playground” for the human race to explore, enjoy, experiment with, protect, care for, and find hidden treasure in. And to say it differently – to learn! Still, a playground requires care, safety, responsible guidelines, and tools.
The passion to learn well fills every facet of life. From better farming to game-changer inventions. From improved community systems to innovative tools. Then there’s the exhilaration of medical improvements to literally save lives. Add to all that – creatively providing for deficits in needs around the world – hunger, medicine, clean water, opportunity, education, freedom, etc. And what about enhanced ideas that open even more doors when you start to explore them. So much comes to us from the route of discovery.
Most of us need a boost – a gentle push – to engage ideas for learning well as we go through each day. Nevertheless, the world is full of opportunities to learn well.
Live Well
How does a person live well? Interestingly, that’s a question with many answers. Still, there are common principles that should be applied. Here are four.
1. A Quiet Good Life
In a world that screams with activity, noise, and personal gain – it’s rare to see a quiet life. A peaceful person. And it’s the person who chooses a quiet life who often has a good life. It’s an art, really. And it’s not a reclusive existence, but more of a balanced life.
You learn to mind your own business, yet be involved in action through helpful ways. Plus, if you work hard at what matters each day, then you skip much trouble and side-step many entanglements.
Then, when trouble comes along, the quiet good life keeps inner peace and joy intact as you work to engage solutions. With resolve to trust God and rest in Him, you can navigate tangled issues. God knows how to restore balance in your inner life.
2. Provisions And Enjoyment
Life is most enjoyable with adequate provisions for daily needs. This is true for you and every person around our world. If you can help provide for others, it’s fulfilling to prayerfully and joyfully find options to help. That’s what community is all about.
Simultaneously, I’ve noticed people who’ve learned to live with less – know how to enjoy and provide more. And those who celebrate, even in small ways each day, find unexpected blessings and joys tucked in the most unsuspecting places. There are so many realities to celebrate: relationships, freedom, community, careers, education, and so much more. Just knowing Jesus is a reason to celebrate.
To live well means appreciating/providing provisions and celebrating even small things.
3. Avoid Threat And Danger
It seems everywhere you turn, there’s some kind of threat, loss, or energy-sucking issue. This provides the perfect training platform to trust Jesus. In a world filled with threats and danger, you can take up God’s promises and practice His ways. Because He loves you deeply, He will see you through difficulties.
You get to choose: worry or faith. Simultaneously, to actively make wise, careful decisions often avoids threat and danger. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
4. The Right Kind Of Dependent
Let’s face it. No one can live life alone. In case you didn’t know- you are not an island. Rather, you are part of a community. Subsequently, you need others. But most of all, you need the Lord! And incidentally, in simple ways, you can be the right kind of dependent.
Here are some helpful action steps to be dependent in a healthy way:
- Cease to be anxious. This takes practice. It creates the right kind of dependency in your life.
- Transfer base dependency from others onto Christ.
- Trust people when they’ve proven trustworthy.
- Live with credible patterns.
- Daily value people and blessings.
- Enjoy peace – even in storms – by “looking to the Lord and His strength, seeking His face always, remembering the wonders He has done.” (Ps. 105:4-5)
- Trust God’s promises. They are always “yes!” (2 Cor. 1:20) God keeps every promise He has made for the person who trusts Him.
These four principles provide ways to live well.
Love Well
At the pinnacle of this content is the call to love well. Obviously, this takes thought and deliberate life choices.
Love is the most powerful force – ever! 1 Cor. 13:8 says “Love never fails.” Verse 13 goes on to say, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
God is the best Lover. And He loves perfectly, unconditionally, and without preference. Do you remember the verse many children learn as they form their view of God? Simply – “God is love.” (1 Jn. 4:8b)
Actually, part “a” of that verse has more rich content. It says. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 Jn. 4:8) Subsequently, the person who claims to know God – yet does not love –
- their family like God loves His family,
- a neighbor like Jesus commands,
- even an enemy like Jesus commands,
- all peoples of the world (even those not living in obedience to God’s ways) . . .
what does the verse say? . . . does not know God!!
Consequently, the logical question is – do you know God? Do you love?
Who/What To Love
To love well includes many facets:
- God
- Family
- Friends
- Community
- Creation – nature
- Peace on earth
- Freedom for all
- Enemies
- People with different life styles
- People with different skin color
Since God wants you to love well, pro-actively Reach Back in relationship with Him. If you do, then caring about others, the nations, and creation comes naturally.
Love helps everyone get through tough days. In essence, love means walking with someone through thick and thin, covering many developments with kindness and grace (even when not deserved). Sometimes, love means bringing a level of accountability.
Times Will Change
Is the world is in a troubled state right now? A definite YES! These are troubled times. Incidentally, Jesus told us ahead of time this would happen. (Mt. 24:25) He told us not to be alarmed, but instead –
- “Keep watch.” (Mt. 24:42)
- Live ready. “Be on guard. Be alert.” (Mk. 13:33)
In other words –
Learn Well – Live Well – Love Well.
Since Jesus IS coming back, make each day count.
Application Thoughts And Questions
- Is your life hum-drum? Do you feel empty, dull, bored, skeptical?
- Do you believe God intends life to be full, exciting, fresh-every-day, and hopeful?
- What are you doing each day to learn well? Learning continues all your life.
- List specific ways you live well.
- List additional ways can you love well.
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