"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and perfect, will of God.” ROMANS 12:1,2

We are often perplexed as we attempt to define our purpose in life. In the pursuit of personal growth and meaning to life we continually question our role, as a person, a man, a woman, a spouse, parent, and chosen career. We pray, we worship, we seek.

There are so many disillusioning experiences, we question the very existence of God, and some give up in the search. There are many examples of misdirected interpretations of the meaning of life, as exemplified in the extreme by violence towards others and harm to oneself. This is a sad reflection of humanity, unfortunate reality in many areas of the world, our own country included. There are many shades of this struggle.

Life’s circumstances are as varied as the people who inhabit the earth plane, as the stars in the sky, as the snowflakes that fall. We are here, we are unique. Yet the common factor is that everyone experiences the elements of nature, the influences of society, the physical and emotional aspects of life. What separates us from one another is our desire for spiritual growth, for maturity in understanding our relationship to that which is Divine, within and without.

Life is short. That is to say, earthly experience is a brief flash, whether 100 years or more, compared to eternity. Earthly accomplishments of any individual, may be remembered and commemorated for generations who follow. Many are forgotten.

Surely our personal and collective mission is to grow spiritually in understanding Divine Wisdom. All else becomes peripheral experiences. We exercise to strengthen our physical attributes, we study and apply our knowledge to strengthen our mental abilities, we experience the joys and sorrows of living to develop our emotional maturity, and we pray and meditate to grow our spiritual connection to our source of life. All is to be celebrated with thankfulness.

Life as we know it, transforms us, willingly or unwillingly. It is only when we embrace life, that we choose to be transformed to fully develop our spiritual wisdom, spiritual maturity, which is the enduring quality of eternal life.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” PSALM 1