Living Differently but Not Less

I loved Paul Tournier’s comment that I happened upon recently. He writes, “I live differently but not less.”

I’ve been very interested as of late in the culture’s interest in prolonging life, and its relationship to a Christian’s motivation for growing older. My research has revealed a growing body of data that suggests that our mind acts not merely as the commander-in-Chief over the body, but surprisingly, the body’s importance is reciprocal; it acts to sustain and improve the brain’s ability to function well during our younger years and maybe more importantly to the growing number of baby-boomers, supports and strengthens the brain’s effort as we move into our autumn years. The research to date, suggests that yes, what we put into your body and when, has much to say about how well, or not, our mind will perform; how much and what kind of exercise really benefits our brain; and the growing body of science that suggests that meditation can be beneficial to our brain’s functionality, well into our older years. And all of these areas, once thought merely anecdotal, are now proving to be part of a larger inter-connected network that when addressed as a collective whole, may serve to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia disease in older adults.

I live differently but not less… Life is different but is still fully life— even fuller if that were possible

Paul Tournier

This all takes me back to Tournier’s comment. The Christian lives differently but it should never be less. Why is that so strategic? I’m glad you asked. The Christian life is a gift and represents an unique and distinctive manner of living; having been born naturally, and thanks to God’s gift of salvation, the opportunity to be born from above (Jesus’ words not mine). Each day of our lives is a gift from God and as such the we should always be concerned about why we should live well, and how best to accomplish that great endeavor. The Apostle Paul said, “ I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me.” In another area of Scripture he remarked that our body belongs to the Lord; we are not are own, we were bought with a price, and therefore our desires, motivations, and behavior must be guided by the goal to live every day in view of eternity, not merely to extend our days in a purposeless pursuit of more pleasure and more stuff. And by the way, there is nothing I find in the current research which should really surprise the believer. God has included in his Word a rationale for eating well, exercising, and even meditating on His Word and great works as motivations for attaining wisdom and impacting our culture for longer and prosperous days.

Which brings me back to Tournier, who, when thinking about his older years notes, “Life is different but it is still fully life— even fuller if that were possible.”

Right on, now bring on those green, leafy, vegetables, while I get on that treadmill and memorize another Psalm.

🙂

MJC