Life is What You Make It

The story is told of a man who was looking to move to a new community and went to the local grocery store and asked, “What is this town like?”  The attendant then asked him, “What was the town like where you came from?”  The man said, “Oh, it was wonderful.  The people were friendly and I had the best neighbors a man could have. We just loved living there and if it were not for my job relocation, we would have never moved away.”  The grocery attendant then said, “This town is just like that, and you will love it here too.”

A few days later another man came to the same town and went to the same grocery store and asked, “What is this town like?”  The same attendant then asked him, “What was the town like where you came from?”  The man said, “It was terrible.  The people were unfriendly and we had the worst neighbors in the world.  We were glad to move away and hope to find a better place to live.”  The attendant then told the man, “This town is just like that too, and you probably won’t like it here either.”

The same is true of our attitude toward the church.  If you are filled with joy and busy serving the Lord you will love the church where you serve no matter where you are living.  But if you are constantly looking for something to criticize and never get involved in the Lord’s work, you will not be content no matter where you live.

Our perspective on life is what we make it.  We can either be happy or miserable wherever we choose to live.  As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13,  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content;  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Life is what you choose to make it.