Existing or Living?

There’s a huge difference between existing and living. I think of this difference as “living to exist” versus “existing to live.” Let me try to explain. A guard dog lives to exist. It has a specific purpose to its life, and that purpose validates its reason for living. If it’s a good guard dog, it protects the property well and therefore, it’s allowed to continue doing so. However, as soon as the dog gets old and deaf, it ceases to be a good guard dog, and therefore, its life has no lasting value. It lives to exist as a guard dog, and nothing else. Once it’s gone, a new dog takes its place.

God does not intend for you to live this way. He doesn’t want you to simply exist. He wants you to live! He wants you to have a deeply important reason for living, and He wants your impact to affect others in good and meaningful ways long after you’ve departed.

For ten years, I worked at two different young start-up companies. I helped build the foundations to what I hoped would eventually become successful and strong businesses. In that time, I put all my efforts into my work so that these two companies would grow. In the end, one failed and the other succeeded. But in both cases, I only existed. My motives were purely selfish. I gave no glory to God in either venture. And in the end, all of that work and effort will amount to nothing in terms of eternity.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with having a job. In fact, it’s good to work. God gave Adam a job in the Garden of Eden before sin entered in, so we know work is not some punishment for sin. Careers are good things, as are pursuits for knowledge, athleticism, fine arts, family, and more. However, God should be the biggest pursuit in your life. And unless your pursuit of God affects and directs all other aspirations, those things are worthless and wasted.

So back to my point—God did not create you to live a meaningless life, pursuing frivolous goals that, in the end, don’t matter. The world will entice you to chase after wealth, fame, reputation, and comfort. The world will tell you to enjoy what it has to offer. But God did not intend for you to live this selfish life pattern. It’s not because God doesn’t want you to enjoy life, but it’s because He wants you to live a life that matters. And quite frankly, if your life’s big bowl consists of nothing but selfish pursuits and pleasures, you’re not living. You simply exist.

So how do you know if you’re really living or merely existing?

Ask yourself this simple question: Whose glory do you pursue? In other words, do you seek to glorify God and the name of Jesus Christ in the entirety of your life? Do you praise Him at school, on the playing field, during the concert, whether you’re with friends or alone? Or do you only praise God when you’re in the avenues of church activity? Do you desire to leave some lasting legacy of your life, no matter how big or small, not for the purpose of your fame, but in hopes that it would lead others to know Him in a saving way?

If God is not the core and the driving force of your life, you are not living. You are simply existing. And after the vapor of your life dissipates away (see James 4:13-15), it will mean nothing in terms of eternity. Instead, consider honoring God with your entire life, and live a life that matters!