a meaningful life...

lately, i've been thinking about life. what it means and why it matters. not that i haven't thought about these things before, but i've been feeling unsatisfied with my standard cliche answers so i figured i'd revisit the topic...

here are some of my conclusions:

1) the obvious conclusion is that without jesus at the center it doesn't really matter; there is no lasting value. life is a vapor, you are here one day and gone the next. without jesus, you may as well, eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow you die...it's only jesus who adds eternal meaning.

2) if jesus isn't at the center, something else is, and 9 times out of 10, that "something else" is me. no one wants that--especially those in my immediate sphere of influence. when i'm at the center, my meaning and purpose shrink to what i can do in and of (and often times for) myself...

nothing new, nothing profound, just some recent ponderings.