What a thought-provoking, inspiring quote, in my humble opinion, especially as a Christian. It makes me reflect on how we are living our lives on this earth.
Do you
make a living…
or
make a life…
with your existence and limited time on earth?
I feel this quote shows how we, like Jesus, live in both our humanity and the spiritual world. Jesus was both human and divine, and we, too, share that because we are filled with the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised we would have once He ascended into heaven.
What does make a living mean?
I believe it refers to how we earn money to live. We make a living to meet our physical needs, like shelter, food, and even leisurely activities.
What does make a life mean?
I believe it refers to even more than just making money to survive. When we make a life, it includes both our worldly and spiritual experiences. In what ways do we give to others? Do we share God’s love and goodness and help others?
Photo courtesy of BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
“We make a living by what we get.”
That part of the quote makes me think of our humanity. We have necessities that need to be provided in this physical world for our survival. Things like nutrients to sustain our bodies, some kind of shelter to protect us from the elements, and transportation that allows us to get places. Especially these days, all those things take money that is provided through whatever type of work we do.
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. –Genesis 2:3 (NIV)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. –Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor. –Proverbs 14:23 (GNT)
I find it interesting to see that “work” has existed since the very beginning, when God created the world. He considered it work, and I have to think that for Him, it was a labor of love. We have all of creation where we can see God’s love at its finest. Keep in mind that God’s prize creation is you and me, as we are made in His image.
Adam, the first man God created, was put in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. We, too, join in this work as we tend to the garden of our lives as we use the special gifts and talents God has given us. Our work provides for ourselves and others.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. –Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Whatever work we do throughout our lives, whether we are paid or give of our time, all we do should be done unto the Lord. The way we work glorifies God, the Creator of everything on this earth. All that we do is a gift to God.
Photo courtesy of BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
“We make a life by what we give.”
I see this part of the quote relating more to the spiritual world that we are a part of even while on this earth. Once we are in heaven, I believe we will be in continual communion with God and Jesus, so we will be completely spiritual beings. We make the best life when we give ourselves totally to the service of others as we use our time, talents, and treasures to love, serve, and help others.
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” –Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)
Jesus tells us the importance of giving to those who have nothing and who cannot repay us. We need to attend to the needs of the most destitute people. Indeed, our lives are enriched by helping those who cannot repay us. Our reward might not be in this world, but at the resurrection, God will acknowledge the goodness we have shown because of our love for Him.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. –1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV)
This passage encourages us to continually give to others. Again, we are told the ultimate blessings will come when we are in heaven. Each day, there are opportunities to build more treasure with the reward we will reap in eternity as we are open to being generous and to sharing with others.
I can’t help but see how Jesus’ life on earth, especially His three years of public ministry, exemplifies “making a life by what He gave.” In fact, the Bible only mentions that Jesus was possibly a carpenter like Joseph. That is the extent of His work that we learn. We then learn more about the work Jesus really came to do, which started when He was 30 years old and ready to step into the public light with His ministry. He had a beautiful ministry of giving continually to others, meeting people where they were, forgiving their sins, healing their physical and emotional ailments, and setting them free from bondage. Jesus’ life was one of constant giving and helping others. His ultimate gift to all of humanity was the giving of His very self on the cross for you and me!
The ultimate giving Jesus did for you and me!
Photo courtesy of MTSOfan under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
What are some ways we can make a life by giving?
*Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
*Evangelize to someone who needs to hear the good news.
*Be there to support and encourage a friend battling health issues.
*Fill a ministry need at church.
*Visit a shut-in.
*Give our treasure to help a homeless person.
Be encouraged this week to…
…give your best at whatever work you do.
…strive to focus on making a life of giving.
REFLECTION:
Do you need to put your heart more into your work?
In what new way can you live out giving?
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. –1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)
