{"id":173,"date":"2016-01-27T21:41:40","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T21:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=173"},"modified":"2017-02-16T14:17:23","modified_gmt":"2017-02-16T14:17:23","slug":"a-fully-engaged-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/01\/a-fully-engaged-life.html","title":{"rendered":"A Fully Engaged Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"vegetables<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the biggest challenges we face is to stay fully engaged in life. That means living life with gusto.\u00a0 When we are fully engaged, if we cook a meal, we prepare something interesting.\u00a0 We don\u2019t just grab a can of soup.\u00a0 If we have a yard to maintain, we read gardening magazines and creatively landscape it.\u00a0 If we have laundry to fold, we do it with care.\u00a0 Then we organize our closets so that they look like inviting.\u00a0 If we have a job, we give it our best effort.<\/p>\n

Being fully engaged means doing everything <\/em>with enthusiasm. \u00a0Interestingly, the word enthusiasm is derived from the Greek word enthousiasmos<\/em>, which comes from enthous, <\/em>meaning<\/em> ‘possessed by a god, inspired.’\u00a0 So when we live life with enthusiasm, we are possessed or inspired by God in all that we do.<\/p>\n

When we don\u2019t fully engage in life, it quickly slips into drudgery. Suddenly, there are just piles of dishes to wash, clothes to fold, and beds to make.\u00a0 When we are excitedly immersed in life, those dishes, beds and clothes become opportunities for creativity.\u00a0 It is a matter of perspective.<\/p>\n

Consider Paul\u2019s advice in his Epistle to the Colossians:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.\u201d Colossians 3:23-24<\/p>\n

Following Paul\u2019s simple advice is life changing. If every act we do is for God, then those acts have an importance beyond the act itself.\u00a0 Our day-to-day tasks aren\u2019t merely tasks.\u00a0 Instead, they are part of our service to God.\u00a0 And anything we do for God should be done heartily – with energy and enthusiasm!<\/p>\n

Admittedly, it sometimes is hard to live a fully engaged life. These days we are bombarded with distractions.\u00a0 The Internet, television, movies, video games, you name it.\u00a0 There are so many things that modern society offers to distract us from living our lives with zeal.\u00a0 Instead, those things seduce us to sit and watch others living their lives to the fullest.<\/p>\n

We were made to experience life firsthand; we weren\u2019t meant to be observers. We were made to create and to accomplish.\u00a0 That is how we gain confidence in ourselves and our abilities.\u00a0 It is how we feel fulfilled.\u00a0 That is why I love Paul\u2019s admonition that \u201cwhatever you do, do it heartily\u2026\u201d\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t just a religious prescription.\u00a0 Paul had a keen understanding of the human mind and what it needs.<\/p>\n

By living life fully, we also hopefully get closer to our God-given purpose. None of us is here randomly.\u00a0 God placed each of us here for a reason.\u00a0 We have things to accomplish and people to serve.\u00a0 We have a beautiful earth to enjoy and people to love.\u00a0 We can\u2019t do any of those things from the sidelines.\u00a0 The only way we can live the life that God intended is to be fully engaged.<\/p>\n

This week, try to focus on being fully engaged in all that you do. Live life heartily!\u00a0 When we approach life with enthusiasm, our lives are transformed.\u00a0 If you make this shift in attitude, you will be blessed with a renewed sense of energy, accomplishment and appreciation for the life God has given you.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest challenges we face is to stay fully engaged in life. That means living life with gusto.\u00a0 When we are fully engaged, if we cook a meal, we prepare something interesting.\u00a0 We don\u2019t just grab a can of soup.\u00a0 If we have a yard to maintain, we read gardening magazines and creatively…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA Fully Engaged Life - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/01\/a-fully-engaged-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Fully Engaged Life - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the biggest challenges we face is to stay fully engaged in life. That means living life with gusto.\u00a0 When we are fully engaged, if we cook a meal, we prepare something interesting.\u00a0 We don\u2019t just grab a can of soup.\u00a0 If we have a yard to maintain, we read gardening magazines and creatively…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/01\/a-fully-engaged-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-27T21:41:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-02-16T14:17:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/files\/2016\/01\/vegetables-A.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meerabelle Dey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Fully Engaged Life - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/01\/a-fully-engaged-life.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Fully Engaged Life - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","og_description":"One of the biggest challenges we face is to stay fully engaged in life. 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