Human Beings or Human Doings?

By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

What’s life all about? Think about it for a minute … as you start answering, be sure to write your ideas on paper. As you scribble some thoughts down, take a look at them more diligently. How do these descriptors look to you? What do they tell you?

As I looked at my list the first time, I realized that most of my list reflected what I did. When I did a quick summary of my responses, I realized my life would be more descriptive if we, as a race, we called …

• Human doings – in other words, my life was summarized by the tasks that I did. When I would go to an event, I noticed people would ask, “So, what do you do?” We seem to identify people by their careers or hobbies. Looking over my list, I could see that my life was controlled by my checklist and day-timer. By the time I was done with my little exercise, I concluded that my life was reflected by the things I could get done. Perhaps I had fallen into the trap of the world? Was my life only about the things I was doing?

Since I didn’t like what I saw, I began to reflect on the life I would like to have. God jogged my memory of the Biblical accounts I have become familiar with. Starting in the Garden of Eden with God calling, “Adam, where are you?” and culminating in the New Jerusalem with Jesus’ appeal to all of humanity to “Come,” I realized afresh that life with God was more about relationships than tasks. Perhaps that is why we, as a race, are called …

• Human beings – in other words, God wants our life to be about relationships, not so much about our accomplishments. Sure, we are supposed to have tasks to do, but the main focus of life is to live in community with others, just as the Godhead models. Relationship happens when we are drawn to one another. People are attracted to us because of our character, something we gain as we spend time alone with God and in His Word, understanding and imitating the One we are in ultimate relationship with. This Christ-likeness is reflected in our love for God (Great Commandment) as well as our passion to share that love with others (Great Commission).

Tasks or relationships; what is my life all about? Will I choose to live my days in community more than in activity? Will I choose to draw others into my life as a result of my imitation of the God who always reaches out to me and asks, “Matthew, where are you?”