“Vanity it is to wish to live long, and to be careless to live well.”
Thomas a Kempis
“…give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”
King David – Psalm 86:11b
Every once in a while we are given the opportunity to meet someone who understands and puts into practice living life well. If you are reading this, you are living life; yet often it feels that we are merely caught in the whirlwind of life, having no control of the quality of the life we are living. Making decisions about how we will live takes second place to dealing with the immediate need in front of us. We desire to live long so that “someday” we will be able to live well.
Does a connection exist between a life lived well and an undivided heart?
We need to recognize the signs that we are existing rather than living well. Whether the personal distractions faced are children we love (at least MOST of the time!), a demanding career, or too many favorite shows to binge watch, most of us are tempted to set aside living well in the moment. We want to live long so that “someday” we can live right. We divide our heart, using the things that distract us as reasons to keep us from living well rather than opportunities to practice living well.
Part of the problem with this is our mis-definition of what it means to live well. Living well is not the same as worldly success. It isn’t finding the time to accomplish important goals. Living well isn’t being the best – or even finding yourself in the top ten. Living well is simply loving God first, and living a life that reflects that love for God. Whether cleaning up a spill in the kitchen or cleaning up an error in judgement, all that we do can be – should be – a reflection of our love for God and a gratefulness for His Presence in our lives. A life well lived always includes a life full of love for God – an undivided heart.
Lord, too often I find my heart is divided. At times I am unaware of the distractions I have allowed to divide my heart. I love you, but I don’t have the time to think about that today – I’ll think about it tomorrow. Forgive me. Give me eyes to see where my love for You is one of many things rather than that one thing that guides me in all I do. Amen.