Take Life By the Horns

Every day, we carry on conversations with ourselves as we decide what we will do, how we feel and work through the choices we have to make.  When we decide what we will do, we then move forward and take life by the horns or simply get by.

We all have 24 hours in each day – no more, no less.  We can either make the most out of each one or waste away the minutes.  What that looks like is different for every person.  For some, they are out and about often and they become involved in different organizations and charities.  Others spend a lot of their time at a desk job or in the corporate world and then they go home to their families to spend time together.  Some stay home with their kids and their lives center around what their family needs.  Still others are self-employed in any number of types of work.

It doesn’t matter what we do for a living or our socioeconomic status.  It’s all about the choices we make and the determination and effort we put into those choices.  If we spend most of our days playing games on our phones, watching TV and sleeping the day away, we’re not going to have much to show for it, except maybe some high scores, the latest information on Judge Judy (is her show even still on?) and Dr. Phil with no bags under our eyes.  However, there won’t be any goals met or accomplishments attained.  You’re not going to get that book written, the promotion you’ve wanted or even that closer relationship with your spouse and kids.  We have to put in the effort for big accomplishments and can’t make temporary busyness our main focus.

How we approach our work is also very important.  We can follow the steps and do everything we’re supposed to do without much care or we can put our best effort into it.  One of my guiding verses in my life is Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…”  When I do something, I try to think that I am doing the work to present to Jesus.  Would I present Him with work that was only thrown together with little care.  No, I’d want to present Him with something I worked at to the best of my ability.

Sometimes, though, the best we can do is to stop and wait to do what needs to be done, because sometimes barely living looks like someone who is living fully.  They are always busy volunteering, planning functions, working hard at their job while also making it to all their children’s activities and taking care at home.   But, even though they’re life is full and they have stories to tell, they’re dying inside because they haven’t taken the time to rest and restore their spirit and energy.  Instead, they say yes to everything and run themselves into the ground, leaving little to actually give to anyone.

Life needs days where we’re not doing much of anything, with little or no responsibilities, getting some much-needed sleep and taking a break.  It also needs hard work, determination and grabbing life by the horns.  In reality, it needs much more of the second grouping than the first during much of our waking hours.

Life is beautiful and it has so much to offer.  We should definitely take the time to relax and spend time enjoying it, but we need to show up each day and decide to make the most of it.  Some things are not within our ability to affect or change, but there are many things we can make happen or, at least, work toward and learn from our mistakes.

So, go ahead!  Start taking life by the horns and run with it.  Do it all as if presenting it to Jesus.

~ Joanna Lynn

(“You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26)