All I have to offer

As much as I love my life - precious gift from God that it is - and my way of life, the truth is my lifestyle is my own, unique to me and my own family situation. You can't live the way I do, nor should you want to, nor should you try. You have your own dwelling place, likely very different than mine; your own husband (or wife - or lack thereof), in any case very different from mine; your own children (or none), your own parents, your own income level, your own degree of education, your own set of skills, your own manner of employment, your own besetting sins, your own history of suffering, your own shame, your own weakness, your own inability. I cannot ask you to do things my way, nor do I expect you to, nor do I encourage you to. Honestly, I can't see why you would want to. You've got your own life to live, and you answer to God for how you live it, not me.

This is, in part, why I don't write much here about my lifestyle. I assure you that's not because I've got anything to hide, or any extraordinary thing to be ashamed of - no drunkenness, sexual immorality, violence, greed or verbal abuse here. It's a quiet life, a lifestyle suitable for a Christian. It's just that lots of people live such lives - and even more wholesome ones - without being Christians at all. Even my skills are not unique. Although I'd be happy to tell you, you don't need me to tell you how to hand-stitch a bed for your dog. If you want to learn how to do any of the things I do around here you can find a web-page devoted specifically to those things somewhere on the internet. Even within my own small circle of friends there is always someone better qualified to answer such questions than myself. Even among professional house-cleaners I'm sure you could find some with better techniques and more capable than myself. That said, let me now come to the heart of the matter: none of these things, amount to a hill of beans. It is all vanity, a chasing after the wind.

There is one thing that gives lasting significance to life - one thing that will last beyond the grave - one thing that lends significance to my time here on earth. This is also the only thing that distinguishes a true Christian. This one thing is not lifestyle (though lifestyle must not contradict it). This one thing is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's the good news of God's grace to unworthy sinners, of forgiveness for sins, of freedom from guilt and condemnation, of a new life of love for God instead of hatred and dread of Him. Our days on this earth are limited. I want to devote them to the Main Thing: Him and the people He came to save. I want to heed the urging of Spurgeon:

"Let us stir one another to praise. Let us spend today, tomorrow, and all the rest of our days in praising God. If we catch one another grumbling a little or being coldly silent, let us in kindness to each other, give the needed rebuke. It will not do to murmur. We must praise the Lord....Behold redemption accomplished, sin pardoned, salvation purchased, hell vanquished, death abolished, and all this achieved by your blessed Lord and Master! Can you see all this and not praise Him? His precious blood is falling on you, making you clean, bringing you near to God, making you acceptable before the infinite holiness of the Most High! Can you see yourself thus favored, and behold the precious blood that did it, and not praise His name?"