Just recently I began thinking about my life and the fact that in just 2 (very) short years, I will be 40. Wow, what a milestone. I suppose I am to believe that I have somehow managed to stay alive to reach my 40th birthday or that now that I have just about reached 40 and peaked, it is all down hill after that. I know I am aging.....I look in the mirror and the face is not what is used to be. Clearly wrinkles are popping up overnight and the grey hairs, oh my, that just seem to appear out of nowhere. My energy levels have definitely changed.......they seem to ebb and flow, never steady and PMS, well, lets just say that is a whole other story. I have heard some docs say that PMS for some women gets absolutely dreadful in their 30s and who knows what I will encounter with my hormones in my 40s. I just can not wait to find out, naturally I say that facetiously. And notwithstanding, other seemingly embarrassing situations that I never encountered in my 20s......not so fresh breath occasionally, body parts beginning to lose their firmness and subtle fat deposits that just will not budge no matter how many drudging mountain trails I run. But thats all vanity and vanity is temporal, not eternal, and no matter how much I try to hold on, the fountain of youth is slipping quickly through my fingers, like Niagra Falls.
But that is just one compartment of my life that most the world sees when they meet me. As the Bible says, man looks on the outward parts, but God sees the heart and that to me should be the defining moment. The world measures success through outward externals......wealth, fame, beauty, title or position but God overlooks all that. Superficial does not interest God. Character does and that character is formed in the crucible of poverty and weakness. The Spirit of Christ chooses obscurity, lowliness, humility, and poverty. It compels to simpler faith in God, for the rich man MAY trust God; but; the poor man MUST. The poor man has no fortress in which to hide except the two strong arms of God. He or she waits on Him for their daily bread, and gathers their manna. The rich are waited on and pay for servants to wait on those they love. The poor are called to minister to one another and in this way, they become like Him who became poor so that we could become rich. God chooses human weakness and vulnerability to expose His strength. The world will avoid failure, weakness and vulnerability at all costs, yet in the process, they lose their real humanity and never grow. They will cut you down to naught in your failings, but God sees them as prime opportunities and only stepping stones towards tangible spiritual growth, for He will redeem them fully for His glory. The world is afraid to fail in front of others or appear weak or insignificant, but it is only through weakness that Gods strength is manifested and it is only through myself being insignificant that God is seen through me. I must decrease so that He can increase.
If I view my life through the lenses of this world, I can easily become discouraged and disappointed with the lack of accomplishment in my life. My life can easily become an exercise in futility if I do not allow my perspective and my mind to be renewed to the Truth of Gods Word. When I think of my future, I can easily become discouraged because I have no real education and the cost of living is literally going through the roof and If I am desiring a lofty title or secretly wishing I was the CEO of the company I work for or that I could start my own business rather that be in the lowest rank file where you get all the crap dumped on you.......like in the military.....least rank, least amount of respect, yet seemingly doing most of the work, is my flesh leading me or is the spirit of God who came to serve, not be served. The Pride of life is a dangerous proclivity and a stumbling block towards genuine spiritual growth and in the end, whether you are on top of the world or on the bottom cleaning toilets, if your heart is not right and you lack character, you will never make an impact and you will never reach your potential with God. Being faithful in the little things, God will make you faithful in much. Bloom where you are planted so to speak and enjoy the journey taking just one day at a time, for Jesus said, do not worry about tomorrow.
So as long as I keep this perspective and remember too, that my life is a fleeting vapor......it appeareth for a moment and yet vanishes away and Eternity is but a breath away, my one and only goal of my life should be just to finish like the Apostle Paul said. He had fought the good fight and had finished the race, he had kept the faith. There was laid up for him the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, gave him and will give to all those who long for His appearing.