I have discovered of recent that I am really good at throwing myself a pity party. I get so caught up in the "I use to have this", "I want life to be like this", "I wish I had this". I know that I am not alone in this. Come on... I know that others out there that have found themselves sitting and complaining because "it just isn't fair!!!".
           This is exactly where we find Job in Chapter 29, "The man who was dieing blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing... but now they mock me." Living in the once was of life instead of life itself.
Something I was told recently has affected my perspective on pouting, "If you don't get it back, then you never had it to begin with." HOLD THE PHONE AND SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! I never really had it to begin with? But I clung to it like I did... But I surrounded my whole life with it like I did... But you are telling me I never really had it? You are telling me it isn't mine?
          This is exactly where we find Job, me, you and the guy across the street.

          Well, I would just like to share that, isn't this the whole point to life? This life has absolutely never been mine, yours, or anyone's. We (as people) for some reason believe that this life is actually ours to keep. That we have some sort of entitlement to it. The life that we have is a gift and blessing that is to be cherished and nurtured. As my Pastor said last week, we like to receive these "Passive Blessings", blessings that we don't actually have to put any work into but we receive the full benefits of.
           The life job and you and I, once had was a gift, and it was to be cherished. But it was never ours. Whether a follower of Christ or not, this life is not our own and death will take it from us, or even terrible circumstances will take away the life we once had, or even thought we would have.
              Wait for it though... There is good news! As Christians we most certainly get a much better life after we give up the one we are given. Although this doesn't happen as a "Passive Blessing", its something that we have to put effort into and a better life does not mean we will never have hurts and problems. But by believing that Christ stands in the gap for us as we fall short, we are to strive for something greater. We can no longer blindly attend church, pray, and read our Bibles expecting to check off our "Christian for the Day" to-do-list and then say we are sacrificing our life for Christ. We have to intentionally seek Christ. Denying ourselves and daily picking up our cross as Christ did. And Heck, WHY NOT? This life isn't yours... so why not live it for something far greater? Why not live it for something that has conquered death itself? Knowing that when you intentionally give back the life that wasn't yours to begin with, you then receive a life far greater in return.
                  Therefore, I will be intentional about my life, how I live it, the choices I make and how I make them. When this life is taken from me, I want to be able to know that I lived intentionally, not just fumbling around aimlessly.
                   We have all lived life on autopilot, but that won't fly for long. So, it's time to come awake and live a life intentionally devoted to worshiping our heavenly Father?