The name of this post might as well be the Thriving Lie. It seems as though our world has placed a very different definition upon the word. Here's what the Merriam Webster Dictionary said about it, "to grow or develop successfully : to flourish or succeed." One of the definitions was worse, "to gain in wealth or possessions". To me that doesn't describe my picture of a thriving life.
Whenever I hear the word Thriving, I always hear the popular phrase from the movie 13 going on 30. In the movie all Jenna Rink wants from life on her thirteenth birthday is to be "Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving". Then when she magically wakes up as "thirty, flirty, and thriving" she realizes it's not all it's cracked up to be. Her thriving lifestyle is nothing that I want my life to be like, and Jenna realizes that she doesn't want hers to be that way either in the end.
But seriously! Why is a thriving life measured by success and wealth? In my book, a thriving life is one where I can see the fruit of my spiritual labors. Where I'm not just living from social event to social event. Matthew 7:20 says, "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." How will we be that light for Jesus if we don't have anything to show for it? This has been one of the harder things for me. Every now and again I'll wake up and realize that I'm not doing anything worthwhile for God. That I am just living for me, and for all the things that the world has placed value upon. Things like, being popular, wearing the right clothes, being in on all the latest stuff (which is a sin in itself.). In all honesty, no one is going to remember if we wore Nike shorts or off brand ones. Or if we scored the goal on the last soccer game. If we were the center of attention at the last party. It doesn't matter.
Our life can be so meaningless. But only if we let it get that way.
