Live Well

I’ve been thinking about my impact on the planet. Not just my carbon footprint (which is larger than I want it to be mainly through having family scattered around the world), but also my consumption of resources. Meat. Energy. 

‘Live well; live wisely; live humbly’ counsels James the brother of Jesus in his letter in the New Testament.

Too often we – I – think living well entails dark chocolate and nice red wine, tasty food, a warm bed, good friends and family with whom to socialise. There’s nothing wrong with any of these things – especially the friends and family – but if they become the focus of my aspirations then my life becomes unbalanced and I am not living either wisely nor humbly.

To live a truly humble life I need to be more self-sacrificial, more generous, with money and time. I need to lower my own expectations for ‘good living’ – no, not lower them but re-define them. 

Paul wrote that he had learned to be content in all circumstances, whether well fed or hungry, cold or warm, alone or with others. 

Lord, may I be content with less, day by day.

Live well; live wisely; live humbly. I can do this through Jesus who will show me the way.