How to Live a Life You'll Love

Do you often wish your life was different?  Do you envy friends who seem to have it better off than you do? Do you ruminate about your problems and compare your life to other people's? I think we all do at times. It's normal, but not productive and certainly does not contribute to our joy. There is something we can do to improve our lives and feel more joyful and today we are going to talk about what that is.

Life can be tough, no doubt about it. The challenges we face can seem unending, but the good news is the challenges are meant for our good. There is always a lesson to be learned to help us grow and come up higher. This is a fact of life. The key is how we view the challenges we face.

But we have to do our part. Here's an analogy to communicate my point here.

Personal Story
Most of my friends know that I love to dance. It's fun, good exercise, and a great stress relief at the end of a long work week. However, I am particular where I go to dance. I want to hear good music I want to dance to. They have to put some effort into it, ya know what I mean? It's just not worth it to get all dressed, put makeup on, drive, and pay money to go listen to some band play a bunch of songs that don't move me.  I want to be MOVED! Good music comes from putting forth effort!

Let me give you another example from daily life - house cleaning. When I was working, I used to hire people to clean my house. I remember one woman said to me "Well, I don't clean microwaves." I wanted to ask her "Is that not part of the kitchen?" but I kept my mouth shut.

I don't think my expectations are unrealistic. Life requires effort for things to turn out well. Why do you think people have bought Japanese products for so many years? What makes a good restaurant last? Good quality and good service, right?

In the same way, as children of God, we should be people of excellence and quality. Whatever we are doing, we need to do it with excellence. God rewards excellence. Now, I am not saying we need to be perfect, but we should try to do our best. We are not supposed to settle for mediocrity, make excuses, or do anything half-way. We should be whole-hearted in whatever we commit to. This is how you achieve a better life. After all, God gave us His best - his son Jesus.

We are ambassadors. An ambassador is a representative. When people look at my life, I want them to be see what Jesus has done for me - his blessings, his faithfulness, his mercy, his peace, his healing, his forgiveness. We are to reflect the personhood of Jesus Christ.

If we want to enjoy a life of excellence, we have to put effort - effort on our jobs, effort to stay in shape, effort to be kind, effort to improve our relationships. Excellence is not for the faint-hearted or the undisciplined. Excellence is for those who really want it. If we want God's best, then we must be willing to give him OUR best. God rewards faith, effort, and obedience.

In fact, there is a spiritual principle behind this concept.  "You reap what you sow" (Gal 6:7). It is a universal principle that we can choose to ignore, but nonetheless, the results will always hold true.

For Reflection
Are you bemoaning the state of your life? Do you want a better life? If so, what kind of standards have you set for yourself? Are you putting your best effort forth to do what it takes to see results?

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as unto the Lord."(Col 3:23)

I am sure this post may have stirred some of you up. Agree? Disagree? Drop me a note and share your thoughts. If this post motivated you, consider joining our community and enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free eguide, "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom on how to ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz