The Uninhibited Life

In his book Abba's Child, Brennan Manning describes the "unlived life" as a dispassionate vacuity of listless attitudes, an ambivalent mind, buried hopes, and unused talents. People waste years regretting steps not taken and dreams unfulfilled, and their mistrust of God and of the world holds them locked in passive reactions to each new day: "They die before they ever learn to live," Manning writes.

When we are living on borrowed emotions, we remain numb to both the deep struggles and great joys of life. We hold at bay our fierce longing for God; we avoid the transformation that comes from the engaged mind, the passionate heart, the Christ-impelled soul.

In a nutshell, Manning writes, we avoid the reality that the admission and forgiveness of sin is the essence of the New Testament: "If sin is merely an aberration caused by oppressive social structures, circumstances, environment, temperament, compulsions, and upbringing, we will admit the sinful human condition but deny that we are sinners. We see ourselves as basically nice, benevolent people with minor hangups and neuroses that are the common lot of humanity."

And in all of that self-centeredness, we miss the calling to live life fully and joyfully.

When we recline at the table with Jesus, acknowledging who we are and the enormity of who he is, we can embrace the central tenet of the Gospel message: love. When we trust enough to openly acknowledge the moments when we fall short, we can receive the forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation that Jesus offers.

A life well lived is not about being right or perfect or efficient or financially successful. Our engagement with the world is critical, Manning writes, and we lift or deflate others with every exchange we have: "The success or failure of a given day is measured by the quality of our interest and compassion toward those around us. We define ourselves by our response to human need. The question is not how we feel about our neighbor but what we have done for him or her. We reveal our hearts in the way we listen to a child, speak to the person who delivers mail, bear in injury, and share our resources with the indigent."

No human exchange is neutral, Manning reminds us. What impact have you had on the world today?

May your week be blessed with a Holy Spirit-inspired joy of living,

Jennie