How To Live
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about “How To Die“, so I thought that I should also write about “How To Live”.
My first suggestion on how to live is to do everything that we can to communicate with others, even when we are told that we must physically distance. Recently, I have telephoned people that I have been prevented from seeing, and I have been pleasantly surprised to hear how that simple call has been helpful. Recently, a friend told me that he had periodically wondered what it would be like to be a prisoner, but that because of the current pandemic, now he knows. We are built to interact with others.
Secondly, I believe that we can live much better if we take a positive view of everything that happens.
In 1970, I was transferred from Toronto, Ontario, to Bromont in the eastern townships of Quebec.
The winter of 1970/71 was one of the snowiest ever. When the snow came and came and came, it was increasingly difficult to move. During twelve days that winter, the snowplows couldn’t even open the roads.
Many residents of Montreal enjoyed skiing on Mount Bromont. They were upset and frustrated by the blocked roads. Our children, however, were delighted that schools were closed and that they had the ski lifts almost to themselves.
Near the third tee of the hilly golf course, we had built a house that looked out to the ninth green located at the base of the ski slopes. The roof sloped down from the side facing the ski slopes to our garage. The snow was so deep that we could go up to the top of the roof and toboggan all the way down.
In February 1971, a famous motivational speaker from the southern United States came to visit us. His driver got stuck in the snow near our house but after they were extricated from the deep snow, our children took the speaker to the top of our house with its breathtaking view. Following an exciting slide down from the rooftop on a toboggan, I can still hear him saying, “This is livin’! This is livin’!”
Rather than complaining about the inconvenience of the difficult drive from the Montreal airport, Lee revelled in the marvellous benefits of more snow than he had ever seen.
Thirdly, and most importantly, we should follow the directions given by Jesus if we truly want to live.
John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (NIV)
And Paul reinforced this principle in his letter to the church at Philippi:
Philippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (NIV)
Prayer: Dear Father, as we consider how to live, may we reach out to others, particularly in this time of enforced isolation. Help us to see everything in a positive way. But most importantly, may we realize that true life comes only through belief in our Lord and Saviour. In His name, we pray. Amen.
Vincent Walter
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
– Copyright 2018-2021 by Vince Walter and reprinted with his permission. This devotional first appeared on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional website, www.presbycan.ca