"It ain't dying I'm talking about. It's living!"

Those of you who, like me, are fans of Robert Duvall and the epic western "Lonesome Dove" will recognize that as one of the lines Gus McRae used to silence his partner, Woodrow Call during one of their many heated discussions about life.

And it makes sense. Especially for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

Jesus himself said that he came to give us "life, and that more abundantly." Still, we spend so much time trying to prove that we've "died to self" that we forget to live life. Some stop living life because they believe they can't enjoy life and still be "sanctified" to the Lord. Being sanctified, or set apart for the Lord, is not a coffin.

It's liberty in Christ!

The two aren't mutually exclusive. We should be able to live life to its fullest while maintaining a Christian lifestyle. We should be able to live in the world without being of the world.

Don't misunderstand. I am aware of the fact that we are to die to sin, and that we are to die to self. But the scriptures also teach that we are resurrected with Christ to new life in Him; that we are new creations; that we are raised to be living stones; that we are to live.

Now, if you believe that you aren't really living unless you are doing something immoral or unscriptural, then you may have a problem. Scriptures tell us of many things we should avoid -- even put to death -- in our lives. Things like lust, evil desires, sexual immorality and the like are at the top of the list. However, that list also includes gossip, backbiting and refusing to forgive others.

Suffice it to say, we should all be very careful concerning how we live. But we should live every moment of the life we have been given, and get the most out of every breath we take. We should strive to be the best we can while realizing we will never be perfect. We must let our lives become less as the life and spirit of Christ become stronger and fuller within us.

As long as we are alive we should concentrate on living instead of dying. We know that day will come, and for some, sooner rather than later. But while we are alive -- we should live. We never know what tomorrow may bring.

"Yet, it is not I who lives, but Christ who lives within me."

The Shepherd's Heart appears Thursday.