The Easiest and Hardest Thing That God Asks Us to Do--Live
"Life is story." Yes, we have all heard this phrase a plethora of times, and its overuse makes it a cliche. But as N.D. Wilson points out in his book "Death By Living" it is a truth despite its trendiness. But do we fully comprehend what it means to live a story? Having been an English teacher and taught narrative writing the question that I always asked at the beginning of my units was "What do you have to have to make a story?" I usually had to prompt my students to get what I really wanted for an answer--conflict. "Yes! Conflict. If you don't have conflict, you don't have a story." Then if this is true, and it is, then the implications for life are both exhilarating and terrifying. We must have conflict.
This is perhaps where some would prefer to stop listening. No one desires conflict in life. It makes life hard. It makes life messy. It makes life heartbreaking. It makes life...story. Now, I am by no means suggesting that we go create conflict. Life naturally brings enough of its own. But should we so adamantly avoid it? "Man is born to trouble. Man is born for trouble. Man is born to battle trouble. Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded--under torch and hammer and chisel--into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God" (Wilson, 69). In the Western, developed world I believe we have forgotten this key bit of truth. We seek to always make things easier whether that be through dishwashers, microwave dinners, Alexa, cruise control on cars (none of which are bad), but this attitude has bled into far less trivial parts of life--relationships, politics, work, mental illness, faith. In avoiding conflict are we actually robbing ourselves of "living life like a story?"
However, "there is a another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story" (Wilson, 71). There are plenty of stories about, but not all are necessarily good stories. Having read a good deal of literature, graded quite a few narrative essays, and watched an abundance of films, I am picky (perhaps to a fault in some cases) about conflict and character development through that conflict. Good conflict makes good characters which makes a good story.
So in order to develop into good characters, or in the case of a Christian to be sanctified and become more like Christ, there needs to be good conflict in our lives. Ah crap! This is where I often get the most discouraged, especially as my story involves conflict between man and self (depression and anxiety). I want the conflict to stop. I want my happy ending now! But then I remember Jesus Christ's life as a man and realize that He is asking me to do no more than He already did--live.
I believe we often overlook this truth about Christ's life--He lived life. We skip straight to His crucifixion and resurrection and forget about the rest of His approximately 33 years on earth. Now the crucifixion and resurrection are very important! I mean those two events bring about the salvation of all who believe that Jesus is the Messiah as foretold in the Old Testament and that He is the only one who can make us right with Yahweh. But have we ever sat down and truly thought about the fact that Christ lived?
He experienced growing pangs. He developed calloused hands from carpentry. He hungered and thirsted. He desired fellowship. He loved. He suffered betrayal, mocking, beatings. And unlike any fictional story that can be discarded, changed, or abridged, "this story [Christ's life] is concrete, it is for real, and it is played for keeps" (Wilson). Christ "played for keeps." His body will forever bear the scars of life.
Therefore, if Christ played for keeps then how can I stand to do anything different. Christ lived the greatest life ever to be lived and calls me to do the same. He calls me to live a good story like He did. To go beyond "a life that is simple and planned, tied with a ribbon" and to "follow [Him] to the great unknown." To experience the pains of growth. To develop callouses. To hunger and thirst. To desire fellowship. To love. And maybe to suffer betrayal, mocking, and beatings for His name's sake.
And in so doing, He calls me on the greatest adventure ever taken.
So "hand in my hand, and [He] promised to never let go. We're walking a tightrope...Never sure, never know how far [I] could fall, but it's all an adventure that comes with a breathtaking view. Walking a tightrope with [Him]" ("Tightrope", The Greatest Showman).
This is perhaps where some would prefer to stop listening. No one desires conflict in life. It makes life hard. It makes life messy. It makes life heartbreaking. It makes life...story. Now, I am by no means suggesting that we go create conflict. Life naturally brings enough of its own. But should we so adamantly avoid it? "Man is born to trouble. Man is born for trouble. Man is born to battle trouble. Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded--under torch and hammer and chisel--into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God" (Wilson, 69). In the Western, developed world I believe we have forgotten this key bit of truth. We seek to always make things easier whether that be through dishwashers, microwave dinners, Alexa, cruise control on cars (none of which are bad), but this attitude has bled into far less trivial parts of life--relationships, politics, work, mental illness, faith. In avoiding conflict are we actually robbing ourselves of "living life like a story?"
However, "there is a another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story" (Wilson, 71). There are plenty of stories about, but not all are necessarily good stories. Having read a good deal of literature, graded quite a few narrative essays, and watched an abundance of films, I am picky (perhaps to a fault in some cases) about conflict and character development through that conflict. Good conflict makes good characters which makes a good story.
So in order to develop into good characters, or in the case of a Christian to be sanctified and become more like Christ, there needs to be good conflict in our lives. Ah crap! This is where I often get the most discouraged, especially as my story involves conflict between man and self (depression and anxiety). I want the conflict to stop. I want my happy ending now! But then I remember Jesus Christ's life as a man and realize that He is asking me to do no more than He already did--live.
I believe we often overlook this truth about Christ's life--He lived life. We skip straight to His crucifixion and resurrection and forget about the rest of His approximately 33 years on earth. Now the crucifixion and resurrection are very important! I mean those two events bring about the salvation of all who believe that Jesus is the Messiah as foretold in the Old Testament and that He is the only one who can make us right with Yahweh. But have we ever sat down and truly thought about the fact that Christ lived?
He experienced growing pangs. He developed calloused hands from carpentry. He hungered and thirsted. He desired fellowship. He loved. He suffered betrayal, mocking, beatings. And unlike any fictional story that can be discarded, changed, or abridged, "this story [Christ's life] is concrete, it is for real, and it is played for keeps" (Wilson). Christ "played for keeps." His body will forever bear the scars of life.
Therefore, if Christ played for keeps then how can I stand to do anything different. Christ lived the greatest life ever to be lived and calls me to do the same. He calls me to live a good story like He did. To go beyond "a life that is simple and planned, tied with a ribbon" and to "follow [Him] to the great unknown." To experience the pains of growth. To develop callouses. To hunger and thirst. To desire fellowship. To love. And maybe to suffer betrayal, mocking, and beatings for His name's sake.
And in so doing, He calls me on the greatest adventure ever taken.
So "hand in my hand, and [He] promised to never let go. We're walking a tightrope...Never sure, never know how far [I] could fall, but it's all an adventure that comes with a breathtaking view. Walking a tightrope with [Him]" ("Tightrope", The Greatest Showman).
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