Seeking Better Life

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes..." James 4:13-15

It often takes a brand new year to prompt the questions we may want (or need) to ask ourselves more frequently:

What's possible? What's changeable?

What...or Whom...can I "follow" to improve?

What do I want?

The answer is likely to be: "Something better...than this."

Better than this Something

or Someone

or Some Body

or Some Place

or Some Circumstance...

better than the current, the present, the here-and-now.

Because the here-and-now sometimes seems a bit old...

a little out-of-date,

not "up to standards"

or far less than ideal.

And it's easy to become dissatisfied

and discontent and disenchanted

with the present...

isn't it?

We like to make our plans, ever-planning an ever-better existence.

We plan to do better, to be better, to live better...

Better.

But what does "better" mean? It depends on whom you ask.

Ask the experts, if you want "Better Homes and Gardens."

Ask the trainer, if you want better core strength.

Ask the teacher, if you want to be better in a particular subject.

But what does "better" mean? It depends on Whom you ask.

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” John 1:38

It's even more exciting when the expert, the trainer, the Teacher, turns the question back to us.

"What are you seeking?"

What is it that you truly want?

If our answer is a better life, look no further than Jesus. Jesus knows.

If our answer is True Life, Jesus speaks the truth and only Truth.

If our answer is eternal life, Jesus shows the way.

“Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28

Rewind for a moment.

The answer depends on Whom we ask.

How would this new year be different

if we could focus for a minute...

Instead of entertaining all the answers of how-to-be-better

from the numerous and self-proclaimed "experts"

loudly vying for our time, attention, investment and commitment...

We could get quiet. Very quiet.

And in the quiet...

we might come to our senses

and realize that all the loudness around us deafens us to our senses.

And in the quiet...

we might recognize that there is indeed One,

an Expert, a Trainer, a Teacher

Who awaits our presence,

Who delights in our questions,

Who desires to be known.

This Expert is not a show-off but a humble servant.

This Trainer promises to be by our side for the duration.

This Teacher has nothing to sell and everything to give.

Do we dare ask Christ (and Christ alone) about this "better life" we seek?

Do we dare live by His answers and authority?

One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”

Luke 10:25-28

Do this and you will Live.

The ultimately straightforward and two-pronged answer

from the Ultimate

summarizes the law and the prophets.

The answer to doing better, being better, living better...

depends upon Whom we ask.

It's that simple...

And so complex that we need the Expert, Trainer and Teacher

to promise to never leave us,

to promise to never forsake us,

to promise to always love us even when we get it wrong.

Because we always get it right

when we seek our answers from the Righteous One.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes...

For instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

May we focus, Lord-willing.

May we Live, Lord-willing.

Clarity is coming as the mist lifts...