Skip to main content

"Be" or "Do"?




When I was a kid, it seems that every time an adult asked me about "my future" the question was always stated as "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I can't say that anyone ever asked me "what do you want to do when you grow up?"

I think I know why! I've learned there is a HUGE difference between "doing" and "being." What we want to do in life is not nearly as important as what we want to be in life. "Doing" is related to earthly things such as "vocation" or "career." But, "being," on the other hand, goes much deeper because it relates to character, who we are, and how we use our life.

"Doing" is related more to tangible things such as annual income, trophies, medals, awards or material possessions. "Being" has more to do with the things in life that can't be measured by literal yardsticks, trophy cases, or bank statements.

"Being" is built on character, morals, integrity and, most importantly, upon the foundation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. That means, by "being," we are trustworthy, dependable, loyal, kind, and loving people who give generously of themselves and of their possessions.

Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

By "being" we live out what Jim Elliot so eloquently stated that, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Popular posts from this blog

Learn from Lydia

  There are a lot of interesting mentions of women in the Bible. Whether it is the Old Testament or New Testament, there are many strong, yet oddly missed, lessons from women that we can familiarize ourselves with to strengthen our faith.   One such woman is named Lydia. She provides a very powerful lesson for us. We find one particular mention of her in the book of Acts. Acts 16:14 , says that Lydia “reverenced God, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.”   Lydia is actually a significant person in the New Testament. She is described as “a dealer in purple goods” (Acts 16:14). Pointing that out is quite a clue. Dealing in “purple goods” was considered a luxury in the ancient world.   It is probably safe to say that she was both a woman of great financial means and able to deal successfully with the influential people of her time. She was also noted as having a great gift of persuasion.   I think she might have been the only perso...

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in  John 19:28  and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now  completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”   Did you know that the word  tetelestai  was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

Cross of St. Peter

One of the strongest defenses of investigating any situation is making sure that we gather as many facts, witnesses, and information on the subject at hand. We don’t want to jump to any rash decisions or conclusions and find out, later, that we were wrong. The Bible has a very strong passage to support taking the time to gather facts to make a truth-filled decision. Proverbs 18:15 , “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” We cannot afford to jump to conclusions on unfounded rumors or quickly repeated gossip. I have witnessed one incident of such false information that has spread like a raging forest fire due to individuals not doing their homework on the subject matter. I am talking about some recent “observances” during the funeral of Pope Francis. During his funeral, several individuals noticed that there were “upside-down crosses” displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Many took to social media in a wild frenzy to associa...