Have you ever met someone in the “winter” of life who engages with others and exudes a sense of purpose and mission? They are always learning, always growing, always striving to get better. Such people are refreshing to me. Though they may have retired from their careers, they are golden examples of what I call “Living life as an active verb.”
If you remember back to the good old days of English grammar, there is a difference between a passive verb and an active verb. A passive verb is one where the actor is receiving the action—he or she is acted upon. “I am carried,” “Jane is overcome,” and “Paul was hit,” are all examples of phrases using passive verbs. What is living life as a passive verb? It means being a reactor to events around you, never taking the initiative, being carried by the currents of life, letting others serve you. In the February, 1998 edition of Reader’s Digest, an article profiled a couple who had taken very early retirement (at ages 59 and 51) to live in Punta Gorda, Florida and do nothing more than cruise in their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. These three hobbies represented the sum of their reason for living in retirement. Please understand, I have nothing against boating, softball, and shell collecting, but it saddens me that these three activities represent the gist of this couples’ existence. No more vision for help to others, no more making a difference, no more profound meaning and purpose than these three simple hobbies.
An active verb, on the other hand, is one in which the actor is performing an action. “John rode the bike,” “Susie read the book,” and “Ben climbed the mountain” are examples of phrases using active verbs. What is living life as an active verb? It means responding aggressively to life around you, injecting energy into others, making a difference, serving and not just being served. It is an active life of engaging in issues, looking for chances to help others, volunteering, making an impact. Certainly, such a life contains fun hobbies, recreation, and much enjoyment, but it is not a life of passive television watching and “checking out.”
Recently, I read some research that bears out the health advantages of living life as an active verb. A Baylor College of Medicine four-year study found that those who live inactive, passive lives had a significantly lower blood flow to their brains. Neurologist Richard Restak writes, “No matter how old you may be at this moment, it’s never too late to change your brain for the better. That’s because the brain is different from every other organ in our body. While the liver and the lungs and the kidneys wear out after a certain number of years, the brain gets sharper the more it’s used. Indeed it improves with use.” –Quoted in The Power of Full Engagement, p. 101.
Further, an extensive study of nearly seven hundred people over the entire course of their adult lives by Epidemiologist David Snowdon revealed that those who maintain attitudes of love, hope, gratitude, contentment, and servanthood tend to live longer and have significantly less depression and Alzheimer’s disease! Why would this be true? I believe God has wired you and me to live lives of purpose, direction, and love for others.
In fact, I observe this same action verb principle in the teachings of Jesus. You may not be aware that there was a contemporary of Jesus named Hillel. An admirable and insightful teacher, Hillel taught something that, upon first reading, appears remarkably like the Golden Rule of Jesus’ teachings. Here is what Hillel taught…
What you do not want done to you, do not do to others.
Was Hillel teaching the same Golden Rule of Jesus? Look again. Hillel’s instruction was passive, not active in nature. That is, one could sit idly in a corner and obey Hillel’s injunction just fine. Simply refraining from hurting others was the goal. But consider the teaching of Jesus:
Do to others what you would have them do to you.
Jesus’ teaching was revolutionary because of its action. It is not enough just to refrain from hurting others in God’s economy. No, we are to go out, actively, aggressively, taking great pains to secure the good of those around us. This is the epitome of life as an action verb.
