Sometimes I wish my brain functioned normally.

Why is it that I can remember jokes and useless information from 50 years ago while all that suffering in Algebra class was for naught? Anyone know what the square root of the hypotenuse of 333 to the twelfth power divided by the square root of 896 to the fourth power is?

Me neither.

I suppose it comes from watching too many football games when I was in the United States but some of those stupid phrases from beer commercials stuck in my mind. (By the way, if the typical American male resembles the young men in those beer commercials, we’re in big trouble if the Russians attack).

One famous beer commercial pictures guys doing he-man guy things, then at the end as they swig the sponsor’s product a strong masculine voice says, “Hey guys, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Sorry, fellows, but if that’s the best there is, we’re in bad shape.

I guess the commercial that struck me most though, is the one which proclaims, “You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get!”

This is the best we have to hope for?

My time on earth is short and something in me longs for much more out of my existence than a beer and a good time.

Aiming Low

I guess it’s normal that we aim pretty low. Men don’t know where they came from.

Science can only speculate. For many we’re just another sort of animal, so you better grab for all the fun you can generate here and now because after that, who knows?

Humanists get a bit closer to the truth in saying that serving others gives meaning to life.

But, “meaning” is really a subjective term and might mean one thing to you and another to me. So …

And honestly, man is blind as far as the future is concerned. Who knows what happens after this life? Science can’t pronounce because it has no facts to examine. According to many, the graveyard is probably as far as we go after death.

So, you better be gobbling gusto if this life is all there is. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. How can we know? We weren’t there when the universe exploded into being and no one has ever returned from the dead to tell us how it is afterwards.

Not Just An Accident

I refuse to believe that the universe just happened. An accident that produces all this would be highly illogical, Captain Kirk. And the God who created something as incredible as the heavens, earth and life must be an intelligent, communicating God.

It’s highly questionable that He whipped up life on a whim and moved on to something else. He must have communicated His will to us some way.

I believe He spoke through the One who came from Him. The Christ revealed God to those who trusted in Him and He continues to do that. His Name is Jesus.

That constant revelation of God through Jesus fills the heart and life of those who believe in Him with the Father’s love. When His Spirit lives in us we love others with the God’s love.

When we live and trust in Him, we know where we came from (In the beginning God …), we know where we’re going (eternal life) and we know why we’re here (for me to live is Christ).

So, to borrow the words from a non-beer commercial—“Just do it!” Come to the Lord Jesus. Repent of your sins and let His life and love fill you. Gusto runs out quick when we’re looking for it ourselves but serving Jesus and loving others fills life with meaning.

Jesus prayed, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17: 24-26, NIV)

I like that Gospel much better.

Hmmm …

“God has to become personal in your life before He becomes powerful in your life. “ David Farzoni

Smile

Dear Lord,
So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, cursed or eaten any chocolate.
I am about to get out of bed in a few minutes. I am going to need your help to continue this, so far, successful day. Amen.

Image: Flickr, Creative Commons, Werner Kunz, One Evening in the Biergarten