When I got to the age of wondering what life was all about I guess one of the uppermost thoughts or questions in my mind was how long would I live for, would my life be cut short or would I live to a ‘ripe old age’?
My idea was to live as long as possible and to experience as much of life as I could. At that stage I was in my teens and I didn’t even know what I wanted to do as a career.
As it turned out I’ve worked at a great variety of jobs other than what I have qualifications for and my hobbies and activities have been just as varied.
The result is a full life of experiences but I just don’t feel absolutely satisfied. There was a sense of not completing what I started or even failure in the things that I’ve tried. Not persevering through the financial strain of motor sport to reach the stage of racing formula, open-wheelers; not reaching the peak of musical prowess when playing in a band or not developing further with deep-sea diving and becoming the underwater photographer I so desired.
It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy what I engaged in, its just that I never seemed to reach the stage where I could say that I was suitably knowledgeable and had gained the competency to be able to confidently pass the skills or concepts to others.
Possessing a desire and the fortitude to be adventurous and attempt different activities is a good start for a life of fulfilment, but something was missing. I used most opportunities to experience anything new whenever I could so that I could give myself a fair chance of discovering where my capabilities lie. Even though I didn’t want to shelve any skills or talents that I may have been gifted with, there was emptiness within. I didn’t have the attitude that I’ll try something when the conditions or circumstances were better, I wanted to live now. What I wanted was a filled, long lifespan rather than an enriched, quality, life’s plan
It was if I was shelving something though. I wasn’t bringing that particular something down from the shelf. Did I know what that something was? Hadn’t I been searching on a different plane other than the physical and emotional? Most of my adult life had excluded anything spirirtual even though I was attracted to certain trendy and dramatic meta physical occurences that stimulated the curiosity.
It wasn’t until later in life that I underwent a change. My spirirtual searching and curiosity led me to a small country church where – satisfaction still did not happen. But, it did create in me a desire to learn more about this God whose desire is that I should live life to the full.
These are the words the Bible speaks to us in the book of John, chapter 10, verse 10, ‘……..I (Jesus) have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.’ (The Good News Bible)
This was an eye-opener! As far as I was concerned, being religious was synonymous to living a dowdy, boring, dull existence. No such thing as having fun. It was like this something jumped off the shelf and awakened me to the Holy Spirit.
I’d heard the words ‘Holy Spirit’
or ‘Holy Ghost’ many times in my life but never attributed anything to these words. I learnt that through God’s Holy Spirit I can be guided in life, I can be comforted, I can be counseled and I can be empowered to live the life that God has mapped out for me. My own life’s plan, an original, designed by the great architect Himself.
Again this is backed-up in the Bible in John, chapter 6 in verse 63, which says, ‘What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life giving Spirit.’
I found it revealing that while in my own pursuits I had an actiity filled existence, it wasn’t untill the spiritual box opened in my life that I could truly lead a satisfying, meaningful life. I discovered that believing in Jesus Christ is not a religion but rather a relationship. A relationship that, no matter what the lifespan, will guarantee a quality, life plan.
