What is really important in life?

You could probably name a number of things.

Most people would say:

• Family
• Shelter
• Health
• Food

But what if everything was stripped away. 

Your home, family, friends, community, possessions, your health – everything.

What is left that is important for living? if everything we see is broken, destroyed , gone?

After the earthquakes that have hit my country this week – again – this question really needs to be asked – what is left when everything is gone?

Here are my 3 essentials to living that can’t be taken away from us personally:

1. Peace

Peace is that inward calmness despite what is happening externally.

People and circumstances can’t take away this inward peace unless we allow them to. Yes it is hard. Sometimes it feels like we have no choice and are swept away with the happenings around us.

I guess it is something that requires training. It is a learned process. Which is good news, right. We can train ourselves to be peaceful.

We can tell ourselves -staying upset is not going to change my situation. Yes, it is out of my control. Yes, I didn’t deserve it. Yes it’s not fair.

But I am not going to let it beat me and bring me down.

I can recover.

I can rebuild.

Training ourselves to be full of peace in difficult times takes us a long way – but there comes a point when it is not totally enough – where we need something BIGGER outside of ourselves.

2. Presence

That something BIGGER outside of ourself is the Presence of God. As a Believer we have something extra – something essential.

The very living energising Presence of God’s spirit inside us, with us, going before us, guarding behind us. 

Nothing can take Him away.

 I have become absolutely convinced that

neither death nor life,

neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth,

neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow,

neither a power from on high nor a power from below,

nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 8:38-39 (Phillips)

Practice the presence of God today.

“I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing; but the least turning from Him is insupportable.”
– Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

3. Purpose

Purpose is the very reason for living. It’s the answer to – Why am I on this earth?

Having Purpose is very similar to having Hope.

Hope and Purpose helps you to continue on.

Before Hard Times come – discover the answer – what is your purpose?

Develop your Hope Muscles. It’s more than Positive Thinking.

It’s a knowing deep down that something good is on the horizon.

It’s confidence in the God of new beginnings.

It’s knowing that God can gather up the mess of life and weave it into a beautiful masterpiece.

If you are still on this earth – your purpose is still alive.

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Fellow Travellers – what are your essentials – if everything is stripped away?

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