In a Way That Matters

It has happened again.  It often does, really.  There's a song running through my head on a continuous loop.  I can't get it out of my head.

Maybe that's a good thing.  It's a reminder of some things God has been teaching me lately.

In a way that matters,
In a way that shows that I belong to You.
Help me to serve, to care and love
As you’d have me to,
From a life that is pure
And a heart that is true.
Give the courage to stand for what’s right
When everything within would compromise.
Lord, won’t you fill me each day,
And I will give myself away, I pray,
In a way that matters,
a way that matters.

 



 

Larnelle Harris recorded that song some years ago.  He may have written it as well, but I couldn't find any information on that.  Whether he or someone else wrote those words, they are powerful and challenging.

Everywhere we turn these days, every time we pick up a newspaper or turn on the television, it seems we are hearing the same thing.  Black lives matter.  Blue lives matter.  And they do.

Your life matters.  My life matters.  All lives matter.

But just repeating a mantra about whose life matters is not enough.  Just saying we believe that all lives matter is not enough. We each must live in a way that demonstrates that belief.  We must live our lives in a way that matters.

For those of us who are believers, that means we must be living each day intentionally.  Living each day in a way that demonstrates that we belong to Jesus.  That's the message of this song from Larnelle Harris.  And it's the overwhelming message of the Bible.

It's what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16 NASB)

This message is the theme of Jean Fleming's book Pursue the Intentional Life.  In that book, Fleming writes:  "I long to see Christ's life formed in me, to live my highest until the Lord calls me home.  I want to become the person God had in mind when He created me.  I yearn to touch the world for God's glory and advance His kingdom.  [It is] my earnest desire to 'number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom'. (Psalm 90:12)"

Thinking about living in a way that matters leads to some questions.  How shall I spend my time?  How can I make my days count for Jesus?  How can I be living in this season of my life in a way that matters?  Are there things in my life - attitudes, activities, choices - that need to change?

As I have been thinking about these things, the Lord often brings this passage to mind:

"It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."  (Philippians 2:20-21 ESV)

This is the essence of living life in a way that matters.  Living in  such a way that Christ is honored in every area of life.

Practically speaking, how will I - or you - live in a way that matters?  What should we be doing?  What should we be saying?  How should we be interacting with the world around us?

How does living in a way that matters impact our posts on social media?  Our church involvement?  Our parenting?  Our attitudes at work?  Or in the marketplace?  Or in traffic?

How does living in a way that matters impact our relationships with our neighbors?  Or our attitudes toward those from a different part of town?  Or those who are from a different culture or ethnicity or economic background?

Those are things that require us to think.  Living in a way that matters is not just going through life on auto-pilot.  Not just doing the same things we've always done or thinking the same way we've always thought just because "that's just how it is."  Living for Jesus in a way that matters means looking to Him, seeking His opinions rather than those of the culture.  It means being willing to stand for truth, even when everyone around you is following a different path.  It means taking time to know truth by spending time in the Word and in prayer.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think."  (Romans 12:2a NLT)

My prayer is that my life would count for Jesus.  That I would live my life in a way that matters for Him.  In every area of life.

And that's my prayer for you, too.

"Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning:  Don't think you are better than you really are.  Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."  (Romans 12:3 NLT)