Written by Guest Contributor, Jim Rosenwinkel | June 23, 2022
As each of us follows our passions and pursues our goals in this life, most of us find ourselves struggling on a spectrum bound by perfection on one end and extremely high standards on the other. Perfection, of course, is unattainable, and the bar we set for our personal expectations too often shifts only upward. It’s okay to strive but not to let it get the better of you. Instead, life is about the journey.
The journey is rough however, given our human state-of-affairs. We’re imperfect beings living in a broken world. We’re capable of so much good, but sometimes it’s the bad things that we don’t want to do that entice us. We can do the right things, but just one misstep can result in a setback that requires a do-over.
Welcome to life! Ready, Set, Go! Wait. Where? How?
Theologian Martin Luther, the seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation, was no stranger to these realities of life, but he was able to find comfort in embracing life’s journey as opposed to being fixed on the destination. He once observed, “This life, therefore is not godliness, but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal, but it is the right road. At present everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed.”¹
Our goals or passions in life give us direction and purpose for where we see ourselves in the future, but everything comes down to the elemental process of living for TODAY. How can we make the most of each moment? The Apostle Paul provides a nuts-and-bolts answer in his letter to the Colossians:
“So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity” (Col 3:12,14 GNT).
Living out these qualities day-to-day can help us find joy in the journey, even when difficult circumstances set in. This is well depicted in the classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. The main character, George Bailey, finds himself in a moment of despair when his guardian angel, Clarence, comes to intervene. In George’s desperation he wishes for money to rescue him from his trouble. After Clarence is unable to help with this request because “they don’t use money in heaven,” George replies, “Oh that’s right, I keep forgetting. Comes in pretty handy down here, bub!” Clarence does however show George the positive impact he had on so many people throughout his life because of the generous ways he treated others.
George had been following the Apostle Paul’s advice without realizing it. Every day, he was clothing himself with compassion, kindness, gentleness and love that changed the lives of his family, neighbors and work associates for the good. So it is with us; every action we take is a reality we create that impacts the lives of others and reflects the power of Jesus within us.
This is a key part of our generosity. It supercharges how we go about our day-to-day living. Being generous is a declaration that we’re getting serious about clothing ourselves with God’s virtues. Let’s not be conditional with our love. Rather let’s be generous with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We can start doing this today, or at least start trying today! As Luther observed, we may not be there yet, but at least we’re on the right road.
¹Martin Luther, Defense and Explanation of all the Articles, (1521)
Photo Credit: Bogdan Kozlovskyi
Bio:
Jim is recently retired after 25 years in project management for financial and insurance processing systems with a national commercial insurer, and 15 years as a financial advisor, most recently with Wela Financial. He and his wife Kathy reside in Wheaton, Illinois, with two married sons and 6 grandchildren nearby.
