Life is challenging, especially when life’s struggles pile up and obstruct your line of sight. The postmodernist view that you make your own happiness and no one can tell you otherwise lacks essence. When a person fails to live up to the postmodernist expectation, the fault still falls on the person. It’s frustrating.
One helpful reminder recognized in our last week’s article from the Scriptures is the reality that God created us from something as insignificant as dust. While we think we deserve the best, in fact, it was only God’s providence that brought us into existence. There is no room for us to boast; rather we should express gratefulness to God, as He is the origin and source of our life. Genesis 3:7 narrates it this way, “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,”
This act is so gracious and divine because the very breath of God was given to us. It emphasizes that our life came from Him, distinguishing us from other creations. Unlike others that were spoken into existence, we were fashioned, and God Himself gave us the breath of life. Due to this, Man can never be separated from God; He is our source of life. To run away from Him is to forfeit life itself, as Adam and Eve did.
Adam and Eve were warned that they will surely die if they eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The consequence was clear: disobey God, they will die; honor God, they will live. When they disobeyed, they hid. Why? They were now living for themselves and not for God.
This is why we often feel lost in this world. We have willfully separated ourselves from our Creator God, though our life is for God alone because His breath gave us life. Whenever we use it for something that doesn’t honor God, we are wasting our breath.
This breath of life from God implies His creation, and also His redemptive work–our salvation. This salvific breath is the Spirit of regeneration that gives life to dead people who surrender to God. Our creation began with the life-giving breath, which is the Spirit of God, and our new creation is worked about by the same Spirit. We sinned against God, forfeiting life altogether, but by His grace, He gave us new life.
Where do you spend your breath? Is it on arguing to prove a point or on activities that only satisfy yourself? Regularly evaluate your actions and decisions in light of your understanding of life as a gift from God. Ask yourself if your choices align with God’s purposes and if they reflect gratitude for the breath of life He has given you.
