And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
I suppose it was the TV comedy “The Big Bang Theory” that popularized the concept of “Shrödinger’s cat,” a thought experiment that suggests that if you put a cat in a box with a lethal substance, until you open the box, the cat could be thought of as both dead and alive at the same time. Though it’s just a thought experiment, as a cat lover I can’t help but wonder why he chose a cat instead of a rat or a snake for this imaginary scenario. But I must admit I’ve known plenty of cats who were so asleep I wondered if they were dead. And sometimes faith can be like that, but I’ve already covered that topic here.
Of course Shrödinger wasn’t saying a cat or anything else can actually be dead and alive at the same time. We all understand that.
We also understand that there’s a sense in which someone could be alive but not living. If someone has been severely debilitated by a disease or an accident, we may say that they have little or no “quality of life.” But you’ve probably also heard perfectly healthy people say something like, “I spend so much of my life at work, I don’t really feel like I’m living.” Maybe you’ve said something like that yourself.
As human beings created in the image of God, we were made for more than just survival. We were made for relationships, for creative pursuits, and for worshipping the God who created us. When those things are neglected, deep in our souls we know that something’s not right. We cannot be happy if we’re not fulfilling the purposes for which we were made.
Remember the Tim McGraw song, “Live Like You Were Dying”? It’s about someone who gets a terminal diagnosis and spends his final weeks “sky diving, Rocky Mountain climbing,” and doing all the things he had always wanted to do. At the end of the chorus he says, “Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.” I think the point is that we’re all dying. We need to seize our opportunities to live life the way it was meant to be lived.
But we can’t always be sky diving. Bucket lists are great, but feeling alive can be as simple as inviting a friend over for supper, taking a painting class, or a quiet walk through the woods. Relationships, creative pursuits, and worshipping God — that’s real living.
I think God rejoices to see His children “living life to the fullest” within the bounds that He has set for our protection, just like we get a kick out of watching our children play Wiffle ball or write a story or tell a joke. But we know the most important thing is our relationship with Him. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would be your primary concern?
So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:20b-21
Yes, God designed human life, even in this fallen state, to have some thrills. But that feeling is very fleeting; it’s over almost as soon as it begins. If you really want to be out there living your best life, spend more time chasing things that will last. Make sure that day by day you are fulfilling the purposes for which you were created– things like relationships, creative pursuits, and worshipping God.
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9
No, you cannot be alive and dead at the same time. Yet, everyone who has a heartbeat is simultaneously living and dying. We don’t know how much time we have on this earth, but we know it is limited. Let’s use it well.
Dear God, life is so full of distractions but please help us to live according to Your calling and Your purposes. May we invest our time and efforts into the things that You find worthy. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
by Christie Cole Atkins
P.S. Think you’re not creative? Think again: https://walkworthy.blog/2023/01/28/so-creative/
Walk Worthy 