Photo by Click, 2005, MorgueFile.com
God gave us life, and also the free will to live it our way.
So, on earth, our earthly lives are authored by us, by you and me. Our lives are as individual as a dance, a book, a poem, or a song.
But a dancer, a novelist, a poet, or a songwriter, does not always create excellence. Sometimes he or she creates, well…garbage.
So how do we create something worthy from our lives? How do we become a better person? And why should we?
Number One: We must admit that we’re far from perfect. We will understand this when we notice the tears we’ve caused others to shed. Amazingly, some people don’t notice the hurts they cause because in their mind the most important person is ME. These are people who use others as step ladders, or whipping posts, or as personal servants without reward or even acknowledgement. If this is the sort of person you have become, stop right there and notice. Decide to change.
Number Two: Look at the people you live and work with, and think: what do they need from me, rather than what can I get from them? When we take ourselves out of the equation only for a moment, we see someone before us who is very different from who we assumed them to be. We see their vulnerability. We attach to them as fellow human beings. Yes, we see them in a higher way. We see them as human as we are.
Number Three: Step back and consider that we are human, transcendent creatures made in the image of God. We are meant to have eternal life purchased for us at great cost by Jesus Christ. But, whether the eternal life will be with, or without God, depends on us. Never forget God’s mercy, but never forget that He is also just. So our attempt to change our life in order to become a better person is–at the very least–a good use of our free will.
Translating a World on the Edge 