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CHALLENGES IN LIVING
TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY
.
‘Fragile’
Living
.
by Tom
Caballes
For here
we have no lasting city, but we seek
the city that is to come.
- Hebrews
13:14 ESV
I could easily find a replacement for the broken
part, but no – the tool was obsolete and no
replacement parts were available. It was a
valuable device one moment and a useless piece of
junk the next. If I had known it was fragile,
I would have taken better care of it. Now,
if you really think of it, the lives that we live
are fragile like that gadget – like glass, crystal
and fine china. They can be here one day and gone
the next. The same is true with our families and
relationships. We live with an illusion that
everything is just fine and dandy. The truth is,
all of us live on borrowed time – and a disease,
accident or something else can end our fragile
lives – and relationships – in a moment. If you
know you are living a fragile life, would you care
better for it? How?
So How Do You Live a
"Fragile" Life?
- Take
good care of your physical body – your
body needs regular exercise for it to
work well. You need to habitually relax
and rest your body, mind and soul. Take
time for holidays and to celebrate
special occasions in your life and those
close to you. Develop good hobbies too –
they help you relax your mind and soul.
- Take
good care of your spiritual self – you
need to take spiritual nourishment
through prayer, teaching and reading the
Word of God. … Train yourself for
godliness; for while bodily training
is of some value, godliness is of
value in every way, as it holds
promise for the present life and also
for the life to come. [1 Timothy
4:7-8 ESV]. Develop good and holy habits
and grow in becoming more like Jesus –
more loving, patient, joyful, self-
controlled, etc. – day by day. Take time
during the year to have a personal
retreat. Seek God in all situations.
- Make
the most out of your relationships – do
not take people, especially those close
to you, for granted. Make sure you love
them, appreciate them and make peace
with them. You will never know when your
fragile life – or theirs – will come to
an end. As much as you can, try to live
with peace with everyone around you.
- Forgive
and let go of the past. This is probably
the hardest thing to do – but is also
the most important one in living a
fragile life. Do not let any ‘root of
bitterness,’ resentment or anger fester
in your heart. These things can affect
our physical well-being but more so our
spiritual well-being. Jesus clearly
said, “So also my heavenly Father
will do to every one of you, if you do
not forgive your brother from your
heart." [Matthew 18:35 ESV]
- Live
a life with no regret. This is not about
carefree, careless, foolish ‘you only
live once’ things – rather, these are
major life decisions you would not want
to be ashamed of in the future. If you
already have some mistakes and regrets
in life, do not add to them but rather
correct them if you can. See if you
reclaim those things. Live a fully
abundant life that Jesus came for [John
10:10]. One day, when your fragile life
comes to its conclusion, [and it will!]
may you hear these words: “Well
done, my good and faithful servant.”
[Matthew 25:21 ESV]
Other Scripture passages:
- Do
you not know that in a race all the
runners run, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Every athlete exercises self-control in
all things. They do it to receive a
perishable wreath, but we an
imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly;
I do not box as one beating the air. But
I discipline my body and keep it under
control, lest after preaching to others
I myself should be disqualified. [1
Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV]
- Or
do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God? You are not your
own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body. [1
Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV]
- …
What is your life? For you are a mist
that appears for a little time and then
vanishes. [James 4:14 ESV]
- Other
references: 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Romans
12:1-2; Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:20.
For
personal reflection or
group sharing
- What
do I need to do to take better care of my
fragile life? Who do I need to reconcile
with? What do I need to do to have greater
peace in my relationships, especially those
close to me?
- Are
there areas in my life that I have been
careless in the past? Have I thought of
living with a motto: “Fragile Life – Handle
with Care?”
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Tom
Caballes is the
National Senior
Administrator and a
National Coordinator
of the Lamb
of God, a
community of the
Sword of the Spirit
with 7 branches
located throughout
New Zealand. Tom
also leads Kairos
New
Zealand, an
outreach program for
high school,
university, and
post-university aged
people.
Tom and
his wife Mhel and
their two
daughters live in
Wellington, New
Zealand.
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"Time
Running Out"
illustration by
Kevin Carden |
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