Living

I recently heard the quote:

“To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live.” – Victor Hugo.

I thought to myself, “Well, this is cool. Can you imagine going through life without actually living? Without doing anything with your life? That would stink.”

When I think about death these days, the first thing that comes to mind is Mom. So, naturally my thoughts went to, “I’m so glad my mom was one of those people who really lived.”

I didn’t stop to think about this until today: “What does it mean to truly live?”

Usually, I’m that person that likes to “cut to the chase.” I tell people all the time, “Don’t think about it too hard,” but right now, I’m really thinking about how we as people differentiate between “living” and simply “existing.”

I remember when I was younger, Mom and Dad used to have all of us kids sit around the dinner table and like good homeschooling parents they would have us learn Westminster Catechisms. The first one we learned got stuck in my head particularly badly and literally whenever I think about the purpose of life, to my great annoyance it pops in to my head. It’s kind of like thinking about the alphabet and trying not to think about that song that you learned to sing at age five; it’s impossible. The catechism goes like this:

“What is the chief end of man?”

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

Man’s purpose is to glorify God. This is living: to exist to be the hands and feet of God, and to say, “Here I am Lord! Send me!”

My mom wasn’t anything special by the world’s standards. She wasn’t rich, famous, or powerful. Yet she gave of herself for the glory of God. She gave her time, money, ambitions, and sometimes even her health and sanity for the betterment of others. Laying aside her own concerns, she took on the burdens of others and encouraged everyone around her. By having a perpetually selfless attitude, this is how she glorified God. This is how she lived.

Psalm 115:1: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!”