Living deliberately

Redeemer Central is about community; it's one of our core values. When we do things intentionally together, the effect can be significant. Here, Emma reflects on deliberate living, responsibility, community and life

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived…I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…” Henry Thoreau

Living deliberately. Deciding how to live each moment of your life – being responsible for it, and for its consequences. Making decisions that are rooted in values and morality. Avoiding unintentional behaviour. Sometimes life is about not doing what you want to do, and making a decision for the greater good. Maybe there’s something strange about the way we are wired, that we so often want to do things that are not good for us, and can impact badly on the people around us. It can be a real battle to do the right thing.

“Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others”. Paul - The Bible

Redeemer Central is all about community. We’re individuals, with our own lives, our own agendas, our own visions and goals. But what we do impacts the people we share our lives with. And the more we allow Jesus to invade our hearts, the more drawn we become to the people around us. So it’s not about us any more. Suddenly decisions become bigger than ourselves.

“You were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another. For the whole law is summed up in one commandment – ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’. But if you act like wild animals, hurting and harming each other, then watch out, or you will completely destroy one another.” Paul - The Bible.

So here’s my thinking.

Ride into everyday life and love your neighbour. Soak up the scriptures. Contribute to an authentic community. Have a brutally and beautifully honest relationship with Jesus, others and yourself. Laugh a lot. Be creative. Don’t hang out with religious hypocrites. Give everyone you meet a chance. Keep it real. Learn that there is more to life than being rational. Try and stay away from sin. Don’t be selfish. Get wisdom. Pursue love at all costs. Value friendships and work hard at them. Be vulnerable. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Care for the poor. Forgive. Sacrifice. Pray. Have some friends from all walks of life and differing world views, and some friends that encourage your spiritual path. Write music. Work hard. Play hard. Plan stuff. Be spontaneous. Make disciples. Rest and chill out. Don’t answer your phone if you don’t feel like it. Savour red wine with good friends. Meditate and reflect. Be peaceful. Listen to the still small voice in the silence.

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” C. S. Lewis

“So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to – the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” Paul - The Bible.

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