"Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest." 

— Charles Dickens

This statement by Charles Dickens does not come as any surprise to me after years of faithfully watching numbers of adaptations and re-creations of his memorable work, A Christmas Carol. 

The story recounts the life and times of the wealthy, cantankerous (and unmarried) Ebenezer Scrooge.  Scrooge, whose name has since become synonymous with being a miser and greediness, has the opportunity to see his past, present and future with the help of four ghosts in a dream.  As a result, he is able to change his ways (and help others), before it is too late.

Although the story does not have any specific spiritual references, the theme does cause us to reflect upon the life we are leading and the life God calls us to.

As single adults, we have the freedom and opportunities many do not have and it occasionally becomes second-nature to continue down the road of individualistic (and sometimes selfish) desires.  We may not distinguish our ways "as bad as" an Ebenezer Scrooge, however, what path are we walking down—one of spiritual obedience or one of secularism?

Charles Dickens wasn't the first person to speak of working wholeheartedly, completely devoted to everything we do.  Paul spoke similar words almost 1800 years earlier.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23).

Naturally, there are things we "have to do" that are sometimes difficult to put our heart into—running errands, paying bills, cleaning the house, caretaking of family members, attending holiday functions (alone), etc.  Oftentimes, our participation in these and other tasks is more out of obligation than desire.

However, more important than the task or activity itself is how we are living out our life (and faith) when it comes to our work, our relationships, our finances, our ministry and our free time.  In other words, are we living our life wholeheartedly, completely devoted to the calling and talents the Lord has given us or are we counting down the hours and days we have left on earth?
Paul does not differentiate or give us an "out" to justify our behavior, he was, after all, speaking to slaves.   He exhorts them (and us) to, "Do it, not only when their (master's) eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord" (3:22).

It is not very difficult to identify those who are experiencing life to the fullest and those who are not.  We can see it in the way a person approaches a new day, we can sense it in the intimate connection between two people and we can feel it in the passion of one's work.

By living each day with the hopes of just trying to get by rather than putting our whole heart and soul into what we do, we represent a poor witness of Christ in our life, we don't utilize what the Lord has gifted us with, we don't reach the potential of what the Lord wants for us and we rob ourselves of an abundant life.