Micah's Musings: Second Chance Mentality

Second chances change everything, especially the way we live.My second chance story took place in the fall of 2014 when my cardiologist decided I needed emergency heart surgery to close a hole in my right atrium. Seeming surprised that I had made it this far, he said I was at risk for stroke and instant death. (To read the full story, go here: http://www..typesetwriting.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=188&action=edit)I had that surgery, and it caused my life to change in a variety of ways (fully oxygenated blood, energy, and a better immune system, to name a few). The most important, though, is that being faced with my own mortality at a young age has provided me a new lens to view life through. Because I know it is only through God’s grace that I did not die as a result of my heart condition, that through his mercy that I have more time on this earth, I see things differently, and thus, live differently.The Bible is full of stories of God's grace and second chances towards people (Abraham, Moses, David...the list continues), and he wants to give the same grace to us. These are 5 ways of living with a second chance mentality:1: You find joy in the little things:In the chaos of life created by society, it’s easy to become busy and overwhelmed with an endless to-do list of tasks. (Trust me, I get it). When you live with a second chance mentality, though, you learn to appreciate small things more, because you know that they’re not guaranteed.I get excited about things that other people find amusing or silly. Crazy socks, glittery shoes, and Sprouts ‘double ad Wednesdays’ are a few of numerous things that bring me joy. To other people, it might seem strange to get excited about a weekly grocery ad, but here’s the way I see it: when you know that your life is a series of minutes and hours that by physical standards should have ended, but by the grace of God is still progressing, why not find joy and excitement in unexpected areas? For all I know, any given Wednesday could be my last, and simply living to see Wednesday every week is a blessing.The world is full of turmoil, but I serve a faithful God who gave me more days on this earth, and that alone is cause for joy and celebration! Romans 15:13 encourages believers to walk in the peace and joy of Jesus, and James 1:2 exhorts us to consider even trials with joy. We as believers are given second chances through Jesus, and we are called to live in joy. Thus, to live with a second chance mentality means walking in the joy of the Lord. 2: You don’t want to waste time:When you start to understand on a personal level (rather than theoretical) that tomorrow isn’t promised (Proverbs 27:1), you want to do more today. While it can be hard not to fall into the trap of being busy and forgetting to rest, living with a second chance mentality means chasing after things God wants us to do and putting in the time and effort to reach goals.In Ephesians 5:15-17, we as the church are encouraged to take advantage of the time and opportunities given to us; it also says that not living according to the Lord's purpose is foolish. In order to use the time he gives us, we first have to understand the second chances we've already been given. 3: You don’t care what (most) people think:When you live in light of your second chance, you suddenly care a lot less about what people think of you in a variety of ways. If you only have today, does it really matter if someone doesn’t like your outfit, disapproves of your idea, or disagrees with your opinion? (Hint, the answer is ‘no.’)We were created “imago dei,” or “in the image of God.” What we often forget is that we all possess unique traits of God given to us as a gift. In a society that demands conformity and uniformity, we are often too afraid to embrace all the characteristics that God saw in himself and decided to give to mankind.When you realize that any day may be your last, you care more about walking in the fullness of who he has created you to be. You care less about fitting into a societal stereotype, certain social group, or other people’s expectations. You care more about becoming who God created you to be, regardless of whether other people disapprove.Yes, there are people whose opinions we value, and that’s healthy. It’s when we allow the standards and ideals set by other people control our lives, actions, and happiness that a problem occurs. 4: You don’t waste time on ridiculousness:People spend their lives in pursuit of things that truly don’t matter— making a lot of money, impressing other people, and so forth. When you live with a second chance mentality, it becomes easier to let go of things that don't matter from an eternal perspective and focus on things that do (loving the Lord, serving his people, making an impact for the kingdom...). It's not to say that living with this mentality means being serious all the time; on the contrary, it should mean living in fullness of joy every day.It means choosing to focus on the areas that the Lord says are important instead of the areas that society sends us chasing after. When we die to our earthly desires in the pursuit of Jesus, we gain an eternal perspective.Philippians 1:21 talks about how "to live is Christ, and to die [meaning to die to our selfish desires] is gain." With a second chance mentality, this is a fundamental truth. 5: You live with purpose:The Lord has gifted us all with a unique set of talents and gifts to be used for his glory. When you start to live in the mentality of having a second chance, and as you begin to care less about what the world dictates that your life should be, you also start to focus more on what God has called you to.When time is no longer an endless commodity, but a gift with an unknown expiration date, the Lord fills you with a burning desire to make each day count. You want to live according to the standards he sets, you seek to understand his will for your life, and you desire to point other people to the freedom and grace found in Jesus. Wanting to make an impact for the cause of Christ becomes the central, rather than the peripheral, goal of life when living in a second chance mentality.Philippians 2:12-13 talks about how the Lord accomplishes his purpose through us. The God of the ages certainly doesn't need to use us, but he chooses to because it reveals his character and heart by seeing the Lord move in mighty ways. When you realize that your time is limited and that your purpose is to be used by God, living according to his purpose becomes the forefront of your life. The fact is that we are all living on our second chance. If you’re anything like me, you probably lost count of your second chances a long time ago (and are probably on chance number 200,000). While I have been granted the opportunity to live an experience that allowed me to understand the gift of time and the fickle nature of human life, we are all here by his grace, and we are all recipients of second chances.I pray, reader, that you will be encouraged to live with a “second chance mentality,” surrendering everything to Jesus, and appreciating the gift that each breath on earth is. I also pray that you use the gift of life to make the most of time, live to the fullest, walk in your purpose, and put aside earthly expectations to glorify him in all you do.  I love this song by Rend Collective because it reminds me of how many second chances I've been given and reminds me to live in response to that knowledge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIk1_2gp7vQ