BUT TO DO JUSTLY TO LOVE MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR 'OD v -ICAH ,IVING BIGˆPURSUING QUALITY OF LIFEˆAT ITS MOST BASIC LEVEL MEANS A LIFE OF SERVICE )T MEANS THINKING OF OTHERS lRST AND PUTTING THEIR NEEDS ABOVE OUR OWN )T MEANS LOOKING AROUND US WITH COMPASSION BECOMING A PARTICIPANT IN THE MOST BASIC CONCERNS OF OUR COMMUNITIES -OST IMPORTANT LIVING BIG MEANS PLACING OUR HEARTS AND LIVES IN 'OD S HANDS ! 0RACTICAL %XAMPLE
*ESUS TOLD MANY STORIES ABOUT LIVING BIG /NE OF MY FAVORITES IS FOUND IN ,UKE ˆTHE STORY OF THE GOOD 3AMARITAN )T S A STORY WITH WHICH WE RE FAMILIAR A MAN TRAVELING FROM *ERUSALEM TO *ERICHO IS ATTACKED BY THIEVES AND LEFT FOR DEAD AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD "OTH A PRIEST AND A ,EVITE PASS BY WITHOUT OFFERING HELP 4HEN A 3AMARITANˆA SUPPOSED hENEMYvˆSTOPS AND BINDS UP THE MAN S WOUNDS (E TAKES THE MAN TO AN INN AND PAYS FOR HIM TO RECEIVE MEDICINE AND CARE 4HROUGH THIS STORY *ESUS GIVES US A VIVID AND PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF hLIVING BIG v ) OFTEN WONDER THOUGH ABOUT THE PRIEST AND ,EVITE WHO PASSED BY 7HAT TOOK THEM TO *ERICHO 7HY DID THEY FEEL THEIR AGENDA WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT COULD NOT BE INTERRUPTED 4HESE WERE NOT hBADv MEN THEY WERE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL LEADERS 0ERHAPS THE PRIEST HAD BEEN CALLED ON AN URGENT MISSION TO MINISTER TO SOMEONE S SPIRITUAL NEEDS 0ERHAPS THE ,EVITE WAS ON HIS WAY TO FULlLL SOME IMPORTANT TASK ASSOCIATED WITH HIS 4EMPLE SERVICE "UT WHATEVER IT WAS THAT TOOK THEM ON THE *ERICHO ROAD THEY EACH HAD PRIORITIES THAT KEPT THEM HURRYING FORWARD PAST THE BLEEDING DYING MAN 4HEY WALKED PAST RATIONALIZING THEIR ACTIONS REMINDING THEMSELVES WHY THEIR MISSION WAS SO IMPORTANT )T S POSSIBLE TO BE A #HRISTIAN TO BE A SCRUPULOUSLY OBSERVANT 3EVENTH DAY !DVENTIST #HURCH MEMBER AND YET FAIL TO FULLY UNDERSTAND #HRIST S PLAN FOR hLIVING BIG v 4HE LAST FEW VERSES OF -ATTHEW FROM %UGENE 0ETERSON S "IBLE PARAPHRASE 4HE -ESSAGE READ h)F ALL YOU DO IS LOVE THE LOVEABLE DO YOU EXPECT A BONUS !NYBODY CAN DO THAT )F YOU SIMPLY SAY HELLO TO THOSE WHO GREET YOU DO YOU EXPECT A MEDAL !NY RUN OF THE MILL SINNER DOES THAT )N A WORD WHAT ) M SAYING IS 'ROW UP 9OU RE KINGDOM SUBJECTS .OW LIVE LIKE IT ,IVE OUT YOUR 'OD CREATED
IDENTITY ,IVE GENEROUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY TOWARD OTHERS THE WAY 'OD LIVES TOWARD YOU v 7HAT A PRESCRIPTION FOR LIVING BIG 4HE PIONEERS OF OUR CHURCH UNDERSTOOD THIS APPROACH TO LIFE THEIR STORIES ARE MARKED BY SACRIlCE AND SERVICE ) THINK OF PEOPLE SUCH AS *ORGE 2IFFEL PIONEER LAY MISSIONARY TO !RGENTINA AND !BRAM ,A2UE ANOTHER LAY MEMBER WHO WAS OUR lRST MISSIONARY TO !SIA !ND TODAY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD 'LOBAL -ISSION PIONEERS MISSIONARIES AND VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE TO ILLUSTRATE LIVES THAT ARE FOCUSED OUTWARD RATHER THAN INWARD 7HEN WE MEET SOMEONE hLIVING BIGv FOR #HRIST IT MAKES AN IMPACT /N #HRISTMAS %VE MY FATHER WAS A PRISONER OF WAR IN A *APANESE INTERNMENT CAMP !S HE AND HIS FRIENDS SAT TOGETHER LONGING FOR HOME THE DOOR OPENED AND ONE OF THE GUARDS ENTERED 4HE PRISONERS lRST INSTINCT WAS FEAR A VISIT TO THE BARRACKS DURING THE EVENING WAS UNPRECEDENTED 4HE GUARD STOOD FOR A MOMENT AND BEGAN SINGING IN %NGLISH h3ILENT NIGHT HOLY NIGHT ALL IS CALM ALL IS BRIGHT xv !T THE END OF THE SONG HE SAID h) AM A #HRISTIAN -ERRY #HRISTMAS v (E LAID A SMALL BAG OF HARD CANDY ON THE STEP AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR -Y FATHER NEVER FORGOT THE KINDNESS OF THIS MAN WHO AT TERRIBLE PERSONAL RISK HAD TRIED TO BRING COMFORT TO THOSE WHO WERE HIS ENEMIES 4ODAY IT S NOT %ARL 7EISS S DElNITION OF BIG LIVING THAT COUNTS )T S NOT EVEN ABOUT HOW OUR CHURCH DElNES QUALITY OF LIFE )T S NOT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SITS IN THE SAME PEW AS ) EACH 3ABBATH %ACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY MUST DElNE hQUALITY OF LIFEv FOR OURSELVES 7E MUST DECIDE HOW WE WILL USE OUR TIME AND RESOURCES AND HOW WE LL RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AROUND US 7ILL WE CHOOSE TO LIVE BIG ONLY FOR OURSELVES UNTIL WE lNALLY TAKE THAT INEVITABLE hONE WAY RIDEv /R WILL WE CHOOSE TO LIVE BIG FOR #HRIST FOR ETERNITY
-ICHAEL 2YAN IS A GENERAL VICE PRESIDENT OF THE 'ENERAL #ONFERENCE OF 3EVENTH DAY !DVENTISTS
*UNE \ !DVENTIST 7ORLD