Semantics

se⋅man⋅tics [si-man-tiks]

–noun

3. the meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.

I have been thinking about this concept a lot. Rarely do we take a second to think about the meaning of the words we are saying. Someone asks me how I'm doing and I respond "fine." The response is automatic. I don't even think about what I am saying, I just know a question was asked and this is the response I have for such a question. In reality I'm never doing just "fine." I started thinking about how often we do this, how easy it is. "How did the test go?" "Ugh, I wanted to kill myself." "How's life?" "Couldn't be better!" I understand that there is such a thing as exaggeration, and that we don't really mean that we want to "kill ourselves" or truly believe that there is nothing in our lives that could possibly be better, but the concept has really got me thinking. If wee say things without thinking about the real meaning behind our words, how often are other things we do affected? How often do we listen to words rather than what someone is saying? How often do we read text and ignore meaning? "Jesus died so that we may...." How do you finish this statement? What words do you use, but more importantly what meanings do you back those words up with? Jesus died so that we may. . . go to school? Work? Play? Be happy? Most people have heard this saying sometime in their life and probably know it is something along the lines of "Jesus died so that we may live."

live [liv]

–verb

1. to have life, as an organism; be alive; be capable of vital functions

2. to continue to have life; remain alive

That is how the word is defined, but does that cover it? Is that what you think when you say "I'm living life?" that you are capable of vital functions? I doubt it. You see, that saying isn't actually in the Bible, it is actually derived from John 3:16 ¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. . ." The concept remains the same though. Christ died so that we may have eternal life. So what is eternal life to you? Is it eternity in Heaven? Is it immortality? Is it always being happy? I don't know; I think this is a personal question that we must all personally define. For me eternal life is about living everyday completely free and abundantly in every season of life. It's about rejecting the things that try and chain you because Christ died so that we may be FREE!! And ALIVE!!! Christ did not die so that we could decide to follow Him and be free when we die, He died to set us free right now! In this very moment you are free! Do you get that? Here's one more saying "Life is for the living." I guess my closing question then is, are you living a life worthy of your definition for it?

Haphazard By Design

We are all, each one of us, beautiful beings. As I think back to the times I have spent with friends, family, co-workers, participants, and just people in general I realize that we all have two things in common: 1.)We are all completely and wonderfully haphazard (even the most organized of us are at our core) and 2.) this random collection of traits, experiences, philosophies, and cultures that makes each one of us unique is all part of the magnificent and glorious human tapestry that is life. And though this beautifully messy tapestry of life may seem utterly without pattern or significance, it is the grand design of our God above who delights in the fact that life is really far from haphazard: life and our part in it has been intentionally designed by God. Even when it is difficult to see where the meaning or purpose is in a particular season of life God assures us that there is one if we will open ourselves to Him and His wisdom.