3 paths in life

I've realise that there's 3 basic paths to take in life, the normal non-Christian path, the success-story Christian path and the Christian path. There's a poem I used to know (well, coz it was in my English Literature book but...) about the path less taken. Can't remember the author though. I think he meant between the path which everyone takes and the path that hardly anyone takes. Anyway, I relate that to life in the sense that everyone usually follows the 'norm'. Those who decide to forge out new paths (breaking the norm) usually find it tougher but more worthwhile.

Those who follow the norm are those who lead a normal path. I equate that to getting the basic needs in life such as food, shelter, etc. People who just get a 9-to-5 job to pay for their needs. The kind that most parents would ask of their kids. You know, get a decent job with a decent salary, get married, have kids, be happy and get grandkids. Nice, normal, simple. This kind of life is not very interesting though. Granted, there will be times of joy and adventure but those are far and few between and not to mention, comes through external sources. It's a very passive lifestyle.

Those who lead the success-story lives are far more interesting. They forgo the 9-to-5 safety net in order to reach their (as they believe it) full potential. These people live out their dreams and are commited to it no matter what. I've read stories of such people who sacrifice so much for their dreams, sometimes even food becomes a luxury. But in the end, they will achieve great success and can coast the rest of their lives, living on the major earnings they now pick up. Or, if not coasting, then they will be the people who get to live life luxuriously. The ones who have 4 storey bangelows and 4 cars in the garage. But they all had to struggle hard and be extremely dicipline to work at their dreams. It's very exciting during the initial stage coz they start without a real safety net. But at the end, it gets a little...monotonous? maybe not, maybe they just keep getting excited at the prospect of expansion. *shrug*

And then, there is the Christian style of living. If you think the above was wonderful, wait till you hear this one. I akin this lifestyle to a rollercoaster. A rollercoaster that starts the day you decide to live fully for Christ and stops when you die/Christ comes back. For I have learn that the only way to live for Christ is to give my all for Him. This means my money, my ambitions, my current lifestyle, everything! In fact, the only thing I would have to fall back on is Christ Himself! That's because in order to fully experience God's works in our lives, we have to first be in a position where the only way out is God doing a miracle. Then, and only then will the biggest and best testimonies from our lives come out. For if we have money/parents/anything to fall back on, we won't put our full faith in Him to bring us through. The problem with having something to fall back on is that you can't reach far holding on to it (which explains how successful people succeed). However, giving everything to God has great benefits. On Earth, we will be His witness to many miracles and enjoy many success. Sure, we will have our down times but what's most important is to remember that God has a plan for our lives and the up times is much, much greater than how bad the down times can be. That, I believe, is what God meant by giving us life to the full. It's to live a life sold out for God and to enjoy the maximum of His promises for us on Earth. And the best part is, the biggest joy and blessings for us is reserved for enjoyment in Heaven! So, no matter how much we will enjoy now, we will enjoy later!

I know that some Christians don't really live a very exciting life now. I believe it's because they have not yet fully commit to Christ. Commiting to Christ doesn't mean giving up your job yes that's true, but commiting to Christ means saying "Yes" to whatever God tells you to do, no matter how difficult nor how crazy it might sound. When you live for God (and that, I believe, is the true Christian living), you will be ridiculed, you will be mocked, people are sure to fight you and definitely, you will have people who want to kill you. I guess, maybe that's why not many Christian go down this path. Accepting Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour don't just mean church on Sunday and having life after death, it's an enrollment into the biggest and longest war in history, the battle between God and Satan. One thing for sure, your life will never be dull again and, you will end up winning (i.e. be successful) most of the time. And usually, you'll realise that you don't deserve the success! Coz it was not through your own strength that you gain victory, it's because God gave you victory. Now that's the kind of life I want. What kind of life do you want?