“How Should We Live?”

For three years, Ree Cathey has been faithfully writing a devotional column in our church’s monthly newsletter. Ree’s insight and greatest aptitude has been her extraordinary ability to turn everyday experiences into spiritual gems of truth. This particular devotion uses an ancient art form to help us ask and contemplate the age-old question: “How should we live?” 

There was a recent article in our local newspaper about a beautiful sand creation made by a group of Buddhist monks visiting Williamsburg, Virginia. Nine men worked slowly and meticulously for several days to create an intricate sand painting called a mandala, which is a work of art, utilizing interlocking designs of gold, red, blue, and black, all in tiny grains of sand. The mandala symbolizes harmony and the beauty of life, and the connectedness of all living things. What is especially intriguing is that soon after the mandala is complete, the monks stir the sand-picture with a paintbrush, thus reducing it all to a wild jumble of colors.

The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the impermanence of life - how easily everything we have built or worked for can be taken away. But is everything impermanent? Are there some things in our lives that will last?

When I was a child there was a popular morning show on the local TV station called "Cooking with Betty Feezor".  For years she shared homemaking tips with loyal viewers - a North Carolina, 1960's version of today's Martha Stewart.  When she became terminally ill with cancer, her message to her viewers was to "Live so that when you are gone, it will have mattered."

"Live so that when you are gone, it will have mattered."

My mother never watched Betty Feezor's show, but her motto inspired her so much that she had it framed and placed above her desk.  As a result, my brother and sister and I grew up with that purpose for living, and we have seen it acted out daily in our mother.  She has shown us that the things that last are not the things we do with our hands as much as what we do with our heart - the words we say that make a difference in someone's life, the love we share, the encouragement of someone's faith, the gifts we give that can never be repaid.  These are the things that will outlive us, and that will matter long after we're gone.     -- Ree Cathey

Jesus’ disciple, Peter wrote: So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Parts of 2 Peter 1:5-11)

In other words:

U      A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better…

U      Knowing God leads to self-control…

U      Self-control leads to patient endurance…

U      Patient endurance leads to godliness…

U      Godliness leads to love for others…

U      The more you grow like this… the less you will stumble…

U      Therefore: God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter the eternal Kingdom...

“How should we live?” The Apostle Peter and Ree would both agree: "Live so that when you are gone, it will have mattered."

Would you like to send a note of encouragement to Ree Cathey? Send it to LarryDavies@SowingSeedsofFaith.com