Are You Living The Wrong Kind Of Life

ARE YOU LIVING THE WRONG KIND OF LIFE

(5 minute read)

What is a life worth living? What kind of life should you be living? What type of perspective should you have as you live life? Could you be wasting your life?

People seem to be living a few types of lives. One, where things are good and they live like this is all there is. They might be a bit bored with life. Maybe, it’s too comfortable and they have more than they need.

Two, those not content, fighting and scratching for happiness.

Three, some just don’t care or notice. They grab all they can out life and then die - what a waste.

Then there are those who live life with a healthy perspective. But what is a healthy perspective? Let’s look at it.

Jesus told a parable that gets straight at this. A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard and came back year after year looking for fruit. Three years. Nothing. So he told the gardener, “Cut it down. Why should it waste the ground?” But the gardener said, “Give it one more year. Let me dig around it. Let me fertilize it. If it produces fruit, good. If not — then cut it down.”

(Luke 13:6–9 NCV)

There are three characters in this story. The Owner is God. The Gardener is Jesus. And the tree planted in good soil, positioned with care, given every possible advantage is you and me.

The first thing worth catching is that the tree didn’t wander into the vineyard by accident. The Owner planted it. Which means your life is not random. You were placed on purpose, with specific people around you, in a specific moment in history, with access to truth and grace and Him.

The question is: “Do you see your life this way?” You aren’t random. God allowed you to be born for a purpose. What is your purpose?

One day, the Owner came looking for fruit. Evidence that something was real on the inside and the tree was worthy of keeping around.

But what he saw was three years of nothing. So He said “cut it down”. It wasn’t worth keeping around. That isn’t impatience. it’s patience. Season after season of grace. Chance after chance. And still, the Owner’s honest verdict: why should this waste the ground?

The truth is, God expects something from us. We were born for a purpose. Are you living that purpose? Why is this important? Because a life can look perfectly normal and still be a waste.

You can occupy good soil, take in every blessing, sit under good teaching, know all the right things, and still produce nothing that actually matters eternally.

But then the Gardener steps forward. Remember, the Gardner is Jesus. He says “Give it one more year.”

That is the gospel in five words. Jesus stepping between judgment and the tree and saying “not yet.”

Not because the fruitlessness doesn’t matter, but because the work isn’t finished. And then He doesn’t just defend the tree. He works on it. Digging. Fertilizing. Breaking up the hard, compacted places so the roots can finally go deep enough to produce something real.

As we go to church, read the word, and hopefully listen to the Holy Spirit, it should produce something real, something eternal, something that falls in love with God, Christ, with others.

Then, we “do” something with that love. Something that impacts eternity. What does your life reveal about eternity - other than living for yourself and just enjoying the temporary?

To be honest, Christ exposes what you’ve worked to keep hidden. When the Holy Spirit goes after the comfortable, settled version of your faith that costs you nothing. That’s not punishment. That’s cultivation.

That’s the Gardener saying, I see what you could become, and I’m not done with you yet.

Here’s what I don’t want you to miss: the extra year isn’t a free pass. It’s not permission to stay the same. It’s a window, a specific, purposeful window of grace, in which the Gardener does His work, if the tree will let Him.

And right now, you and I are living inside that window.

Paul wrote to the Galatians and called the evidence of a Spirit-filled life exactly what Jesus called it — fruit. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23 NCV)

It’s not religious activity. Not a busy schedule. Not even correct theology. Fruit, something that grows from the inside out, visible to anyone paying attention, produced naturally by a life connected to the right Source.

So here’s the honest question Jesus is pressing with this parable: What is actually growing in you?

Not what you’re doing. What is growing? Is there more love this year than last? More genuine surrender? Is your life increasingly oriented around God and other people, or is it still mostly about you?

Some just live life thinking this it and when they die, that’s it. Others live as they like, thinking everyone dies and goes to a beautiful life. Where does that come from? Normally from other people from miss perceived ideas.

And some just don’t care. They grab all they can never thinking about life or life after death. What a waste.

Life is laid out in two purposes. Love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength - and love others as yourself. And as you enjoy God’s blessings, you love Him more, love others more. (Matthew 22:37-39)

We should live with eternity in mind, in mind for others, enjoy the present, plan for eternity, but know it’s all temporary and we will leave it all behind one day.

If Christ is not your Lord and Savior, you are missing such a full life. Full now, preparing for eternity, helping others see it too, and knowing when you die, you will live in a new heaven, on a new earth and enjoy both.

For how long? Forever and ever.

If you’ve not committed to Christ, you can right now. Just draw a line, write “start” and give it your best to finish well. And when you screw up, and you will, just draw another. And when you look back years from now, you’ll see all those lines. You still won’t be where you want, but you won’t be where you were.

The window is still open — but it won’t be forever.

LORD, help us know Jesus paid for our past, present and future sins. Help us accept Him and live like He is our Lord. Something will Lord over us - let it be Him - You - and the Holy Spirit. IJNIP amen ♥️