What makes one life happy and full of joy and another seem empty and hollow? Every life has a story behind it. In every story are successes, defeats, failures, mistakes, hope and promise.
So what makes one life so different from another? Life always has ups and downs and we know God uses trials in our life to stretch us, grow us, and test our faith. But God doesn't take joy or glory in a mediocre or miserable life. In John 10:10, Jesus said He came so we would have life abundantly. He wants us to experience an abundant life because he wants fruitfulness from every one of us.
The Lord tells us in Deuteronomy 30:19, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life..."
We have a choice between life and death, a blessing or a curse, a fruitful future or one of pain. You may remember the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. The younger brother took his inheritance and squandered it away. He sees his mistake, returns home, and the father is overjoyed at the return and repentance of the younger boy. The father calls for the older son to rejoice with him. The older son's response is found in Luke 15:28-32. He's angry and jealous.
There are many lessons for us in this parable: the forgiveness of the father and the joy of welcoming a repentant heart. The prodigal messed up his life outside his father's house. But look at the older brother's heart. The older brother messed up his life inside the father's house.
Instead of looking for what he could be grateful for, he found a reason to justify his anger, jealousy, and envy. I've noticed that if I look hard enough and wait long enough I can always find reasons to justify a complaint or unhappiness toward someone. Instead of seeing things the way our heavenly father sees things and welcoming home a wayward brother, we make judgments and say, "Hey what about me? What about all the time that I was faithful?"
Surely the Lord wants us to join in the celebration of welcoming back someone that's suffered outside His house, but He also wants to be sure that our hearts are right inside His house. Like the prodigal son, our behavior can cause us to mess up our lives outside the father's house, but our attitude will cause us to mess up our lives inside the father's house. Proverbs 23:7 says, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
An important foundation for a fruitful life is a Godly heart, better yet right attitudes. Choose life by having an attitude of being grateful with what you have not by being envious of what others have.
Allow mercy and grace for others to fill your heart and rejoice and join in the celebration when someone sees their mistakes of bad choices.
Choose life is all about attitude. Choose the right attitude and live abundantly.
Ron Mogab is pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship and is a member of the Carson Valley Ministers' Association.
