What is life?

James 2:8-If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

Each week I email a “Thought For The Week” to my business teammates throughout the midwest. It is usually something simple, but more often than not it invokes personal reflection and thought, which is the primary reason I do it. I also post the thought on EagleLaunch.com

This week’s thought; “A life lived for others is a life worth while” was borrowed from the quote machine himself, Albert Einstein and this particular quote invoked some deep thought on my part.

A mantra I try to live by is “Live alot, Love alot, Laugh alot and Give alot.” Back in my dark days when I was immersed in addiction and depression I could not do any of this. I was so self-absorbed and self-consumed that I could not laugh and could have cared less if I lived or not. I was consumed with “giving” myself that all elusive high and thru my self destructive habits; love was nowhere to be found. My life was all about me.

Then I found Jesus. And what I found in Jesus was a friend and Lord and saviour who paid the ultimate price so I could have a second chance. This relationship with Jesus helped me forgive myself and learn how to live this life for not only myself but for others. And that my friends is what this life is all about.

All throughout the gospels of the New Testament Jesus tells us to love and give. The 12 step groups I was attending when I first got sober told me a whole lot about loving and giving. Addiction, alcoholism, co-dependency and depression are all self-focused disorders.

As I slowly started to love and give to others I found myself better able to live and laugh. The simple act of getting out of myself and putting the attention on others became a life transforming process. Today loving and giving are second nature to me but it took a lot of work, effort and repitition to get to where I am.

Where are you today? What is life to you? Do you find yourself thinking of yourself and your problems more than thinking about how you can make a difference in other people’s lives? Try getting out of yourself by taking an interest in others or by taking an interest in a cause. You will be amazed at how this helps change your attitude and outlook on life.

(A disclaimer for the co-dependents…most of you become sick because you give way too much to others because your intent is to “fix” the other person or “create” an outcome. Try loving and giving with no strings attached, try doing for others without anticipating an outcome.)

There is a ton of scripture devoted to the topics of loving and giving but some of my favorites include: John 15:12-13, Luke 18:18-25, Luke 10:30-37, Matthew 25:40.

If you’re having trouble living and laughing these days…do something uncomfortable try loving and giving (without motives); when it is all said and done, that is what life is all about.

P.E.A.C.E.

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