Located in the vicinity of my residence are a stream and a bridge. A few large trees are planted by the side of the stream and near the bridge. A group of elderly villagers come almost every day and sit in the shade of the trees. They are retirees taking their leisured time and chatting routine there. Nonetheless, dullness and aimlessness could be observed from the facial expressions of a few old men among them. You may or may not envy such a lifestyle. However, some one hard pressed by the stresses and cruelty of living might find their lifestyle adorable. Indeed, it is a great contrast to the exhaustive and mind boggling lifestyles confronting the average adult in Hong Kong.
WE do need a peace of mind and periodic rests to refresh ourselves. However, a habitual dullness and aimlessness is a poison to every ambitious or serious life lover. Let's have some reflection by referring to a few examples in the Bible. Moses, if not driven by his fear of cruelty and persecution after he killed the Egyptian officer, could well miss his flight to Midian (Exo. 2) and consequently forfeit his opportunity to become the Israelites' deliverer from their bondage of slavery. Samson, without his total defeat before the Philistines, might not have asked God to give him the last chance to pull down the central pillars in the temple of Dagon (Jud. 16) in order to avenge the Israelites' oppressor.
I am sure you could think of more similar examples in the Bible. Let me cite another one before I conclude. Without the long night of discrimination and slavery of the Negro in the States, Martin Luther King (the great civil right leader) would not have made his famous speech of “I have a dream” on August 28, 1963. Without King and his sacrifice, the Emancipation Proclamation of America might still have a long way to become effectuated.
What is your choice if you are asked to choose between a dull and aimless life AND a purposeful one? I hope you've already got my message: The fulfillment of one's purpose of life is often accompanied by weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and even calamities. Let's be encouraged by Paul's words: for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:10). And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6:7 ,9).
