My high school English teacher showed Dead Poets Society at the end of every fall semester. As trees grew bare, Robin Williams inspired our impressionable young minds as John Keating by getting on top of his desk, reciting poetry, and encouraging his students to write their verse. My worldview shifted, though not for the better, when Keating pulled his class out into the hall to look at photos of generations past and remind them of the fragility of life.
“Carpe . . . carpe diem,” Keating whispered. “Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
Yes! Yes! Something awoke within me. Let us make our lives extraordinary!
I ran with it — full tilt; Carpe Diem felt like the key to unlocking all my dreams. I felt like a philosophical genius pulling this Latin phrase out as my life motto, its sophistication far outweighing that of today’s YOLO declarations.
I let carpe diem guide my steps for years and learned the hard way that while the phrase works as a momentary encouragement or a yearbook quote, as a way of life, it fails.
If we jump, move, and boldly pursue whatever we crave because tomorrow we may die, we sacrifice wisdom for desire. The urgency of the moment hijacks our tomorrows, and though another day is not guaranteed, chances are it will come.
In the midst of my toxic overdose of attempts at seizing the day, God, in His goodness, intervened and taught me what it was to thrive. Coram Deo is the Latin phrase meaning “in the presence of God.” When Jesus met me in the mess of brokenness birthed by chasing rapacious fancy, I discovered the key to the life I was seeking was more likely to be found here.
I gladly traded my once favored carpe diem for the truer, deeper way of coram Deo. This turn protected the trajectory of my life in the following ways:
Coram Deo Embraces Wisdom
Carpe diem screams, “Chase pleasure! Follow the flesh.” This eventually yielded heavy fruits of internal disharmony, confusion, and a constant lust for more. Living in the face of God, living coram Deo, is where I learned to lay hold of wisdom. Soon the fruit of the Spirit, true peace, true joy, and true love, were what emerged from my life.
In the face of God I flourished. In the lust for more I withered.
Coram Deo Promotes the Go and the Be
One of the appealing things about carpe diem is that within its folds is the truth that there is urgency to life, but when I took this to the extreme, I lost the scope of eternity. When I bask in the presence of the Savior, I become keenly aware of the big picture. This prompts me to act immediately to promote His kingdom while at the same time being patient as He shapes my character within.
The both/and of urgency and patience dwell here. I can go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and I can be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
Coram Deo Is about God, Not Me
I began to know what true life was when I got to the end of myself and began living for God and others. I learned the hard way that an existence wound tightly around self is a small one indeed. I serve a God who is fully out of my control, but there is nothing better than being in the wild goodness of His presence.
The glory there is like no other.
R. C. Sproul said: “Living coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.”
True life cannot ripen in a moment; it takes place when a life is nurtured, cultivated, and shined upon.
So instead of running down the illusive, transient carpe diem, I now live knowing God sees all, knows all, and loves me still. No amount of seizing days can lead to what is found in the very face of the Creator of it all, for this is where I hear Jesus whispering the extraordinary call of “follow me.”
Leave a Comment
Brenda says
Thank you for the beautiful insight you shared regarding life–“In Him we live and move and have our being”.
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Brenda. There is much peace in knowing we are His. 🙂
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Chara,
I remember that scene in the movie oh so well. Some earthly philosophy sounds really profound on the surface. So much of it, unfortunately, is focused on the “I” the “Me” the “My”. We get tripped up thinking we can do anything if we just set our minds to it. We learn this early in life, like when my toddler learning to talk, would say, “I do it,” in defiance of any assistance from me. When we gain wisdom through the Word we learn that the sweet spot isn’t found in “seizing” as in carpe diem, but in “being” as in being still in His presence. There we learn that anything we attempt to do can be done only in Christ’s strength because without Him we can do nothing. Also, setting our sights on a more eternal perspective is where God has instructed my mind to go. Thank you for sharing your journey from seizing to being….may we all take note 🙂
Blessings,
Bev
Chara Donahue says
Amen! Such great encouragements, Bev. Thank you for reading, and for your wise insight. 🙂
Michele Morin says
Coram Deo! I’ve written this down for further pondering.
And now, I want to watch that movie!
Chara Donahue says
Sounds good, Michele my #wholemama friend. It is a classic for those who are literary inclined. 😉 Blessings to you.
Claudette Shaw says
A very good article.I had CERTAINLY encouraged me continue to serve God and live for Him instead of satisfying the flesh and temporal pursuits. Thank you.
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Claudette. I am so glad God encouraged you through these words.
Jennifer J. Bunderle says
Carpe Diem can also be a daily life of purpose for God and others. The phrase does not exclusively mean to ignore seeking a deeper meaning to our days or life, it is also a call to daily significance and considering how our today will affect our (and others) tomorrows, too. With intentionality, there can be more depth than transience to carpe diem because as you said, “God sees all, knows all and loves me still.” God truly does inform and expand our moments, days and lives. All glory, praise and honor to Him – the Creator of our moments, days and lives.
Barbara Higby says
Well said. Thank you for the balance.
Chara Donahue says
Jennifer, I definitely think the idea of it can be redeemed under Christ’s control, but in our culture as a whole it is not typically viewed that way. For me, it became dangerous , and a perspective of coram Deo provided a definitive stance that could not be skewed as easily. For those who have always viewed it with biblical intentionality, I could see how it could be an encouragement. Thank you for your perspective and for reading. 🙂
Tracy Gatton says
I agree. I always took it as an encouragement not to let fear keep you from living your life and making your decisions for you. Coram Deo certainly can put you in the place to achieve the courage to live a life for Jesus.
Thanks for the article. I too now wanna watch the movie. It’s wanna of my favs.
Kris says
Such a good word. Thank you for sharing this!
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Kris. 🙂
Carol says
This morning I have been uplifted by your words and for that I thank God.
Chara Donahue says
I thank God with you, Carol. I am humbled to be used by Him. Thanks for reading. 🙂
Rebecca E. Parsons says
Profound – what I was looking for after my prayer this morning. Thank you and thank God!
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Rebecca. I am love the way God orchestrates things so that things find us at the right moment. It never ceases to amaze me. 🙂
Karen Wiggins says
Thank you for this. It is so beautiful and certainly pulls you away for the hectic, consistent drive that is bombarding us every day. ! I thank God for this word today….Live in the presence of His wild goodness
Chara Donahue says
I am so glad God encouraged you through this post. Thank you for reading, Karen. 🙂
Jamie @ gracewalking.com says
I vividly remember how this movie shaped my teen years. Oh, the buckets of tears I cried while watching it. Thank you for sharing this Latin phrase that supersedes our “seizing the day,” especially as we look to seize the new year. May we live it coram Deo, in the presence of God!
Chara Donahue says
Amen! Yes, oh the tears. Thank you for reading, Jamie. 🙂
Lora Leftwich says
Chara- Thank you for such an inspirational post. I’ve been meditating on the idea of practicing the presence of God and asking the question, “what does pausing to ‘practice the presence of God’ actually look like?” After reading your post I immediately went to my chalkboard (a rooster I keep in my kitchen) and scratched out the phrase, “coram Deo” as a constant reminder to remain mindful of the presence of God. You answered my question. What a great way to start the weekend.
God Bless you and your family!
Chara Donahue says
God bless you as well, Lora. What a great question you are asking. Thanks for reading!
Jessica says
“If we jump, move, and boldly pursue whatever we crave because tomorrow we may die, we sacrifice wisdom for desire.”
This spoke to me so deeply today! My husband and I have been wrestling with two – what seem to be – life altering decisions. Career changes for one or both of us, and starting a family. On the one hand, we feel ready. It is our hearts desire. But on the other, we have goals and hopes financially and want to be in a good place personally and as a couple before we make these changes.
Thank you for the reminder that I need to spend time with God, asking and listening and waiting to be sure we are acting on wisdom and not desire.
Blessings!
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Jessica. I am praying that God will give you the wisdom you need (James 1:5). God bless you and your husband as you seek His will.
Stephanie says
Thank you Chara. This has blessed me greatly. I hope we all live coram deo! May we always live for God and fully trust in Him. God bless you always. Xoxo ❤
Chara Donahue says
AMEN! What a light we would be to this hurting world. Thanks for reading, Stephanie.
Kristi says
Beautiful reminders. Thank you.
Chara Donahue says
Thanks for reading, Kristi. Have a wonderful day. 🙂
Peggy Gatje says
Thank you! Your beautifully expressed words of wisdom have truly blessed my spirit & soul.
Chara Donahue says
I am so glad to hear God used this post to encourage you, Peggy. Thank you for reading. 🙂
Jolene Underwood says
I love this so much, I can not adequately express it. Thank you.
Chara Donahue says
Jolene, I am so glad you liked it. Thank you for your encouragement and for reading. 🙂
Barbara Higby says
Excellent! Thank you.
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading, Barbara. I appreciate your encouragement.
Alli says
A challenge I live with daily to know God desires me to love Him even more than my own life. A concept I never quite in my flesh could accept. He is the most important of all
Chara Donahue says
It is such a hard concept to accept and embrace. I think you are so right when you say it is a daily challenge, but worth it. Like you said, “He is the most important of all.” Thanks for reading!
Sarah says
And is there any reason why we can’t seize the day in the presence of God? I liked the post earlier this week about how living life to the full is the best reflection of God’s glory. That’s what I want to take into the new year. There’ll be things I can’t afford that I’ll have to put on-hold, but I want to be someone who takes more risks and gets what I can out of life.
Chara Donahue says
Sarah, I think we can do both, but that coram Deo encompasses the good from the sentiment of carpe diem without carrying over the impulsivity that can be harmful. I believe that living in the presence of God does demand that we take risks and live to the full, it just gives us the freedom to run after what He is asking of us instead of what we think will fulfill us in a moment. By no means would I suggest that this means we don’t live life filled with faith by boldly embracing what God asks of us, for there is no one I would rather take a risk with than our Holy God. Thank you for reading. Your desire for a full life is encouraging, may you be blessed as you adventure with God in this new year. 🙂
Gayle says
I struggle with this very issue. I am a Christian and God says He will give me life to the full – this is a promise from Him to me. It’s the people around me who put doubt into my mind and “encourage” me to seize the day. You see in their eyes I’m not living up to my potential, I could be doing so much more, I’m wasting my life. I am 47, have one son who has flown the coop, single, live with my parents, not working due to health issues, and people around me want to fix me. Spiritually I’m involved in my church, attend every week, go to bible study weekly, run the local scripture in schools, run a group at church for those suffering mental health issues, run a prayer group, mentor some of the youth in my church, help my parents out as they are getting older, am here for family members if they need a hand or support. So i may not be doing what’s acceptable in the eyes of the world, focusing on career, money, gym, diet, marriage et cetera, but I’m reminded what C.S. Lewis said regarding when we don’t feel like we’re part of this world it’s because we were made for another world. Sorry for the rant, thanks for listening – and thanks for sharing that today, as you can see it stirred something up in me. God bless you xx
Beth Williams says
Gayle,
Don’t let the people around you discourage you. They have a simple world view of life. Carpe diem. Big career, family, house, etc. Lots of stuff. You my friend have a Christian view of life. It is much more than this world. You know you will get your rewards later in Heaven. You are hard working for God and that means a lot in this day and age! I applaud your efforts and pray for you. May God help you to have better days-health wise. I pray for a sense of peace in your soul!
(((((Hugs)))))
Gayle says
Thank you so much – just what I needed to hear. God bless you xx
Chara Donahue says
Gayle,
I am encouraged by your endurance. Sometimes other voices are tempting to listen to, but our God’s is the truest. This morning in my reading I was in 1 Peter 3. I hope these verses speak life to you as they did to me: “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (13-17).
By joining in with the work of God you are not only living for another world but are inviting others into the perfect world that awaits us. There is no greater way to spend your life than by living for our God and others, because the impact is eternal. Keep on doing the work you are doing! The body of Christ is thankful for it. 🙂
Gayle says
Thank you so much for that great encouragement – needed it – God bless xx
Kelli McKnight says
As one who has watched Dead Poets over 10 times, your words resonate on a visceral level this morning. Coram Deo is all that carpe diem in reality fails to deliver. I’m bookmarking this post to go back and read and reread! Thank you!
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading and for your encouragement. I do love the movie and when I watch it now, I too, am thankful for the more complete understanding of coram Deo.
Beth Williams says
Chara,
Coram Deo new words to ponder for the year! This world screams carpe diem! It is all about me, myself & I. They want it all & now. Not many seem to look toward the future & where they will spend eternity. The millennials are saying “look what I did, how much I have, etc.” They flaunt their lifestyles on TV, & internet. I am sensing a time when this country needs a revival. We need to get back to Coram Deo and thinking about God & others. There is so much out there that is of this world & not of God. We need to stop our frantic carpe diem and slow down to hear God speaking. That is when extraordinary life will happen!
Blessings 🙂
Chara Donahue says
Amen! May our eyes be on eternal things. Thank you for reading, Beth.
Barbara Bos says
Dear Chara,
What a clear and beautiful message. THANK YOU so much for your insight and for sharing! Coram Deo is now in my heart and i hope to be a better Christian to those in my life.
Blessings,
Barbara
Chara Donahue says
Barbara, may you be blessed as you continue to follow our great and mighty God. Thank you for reading. 🙂
Candace Lee says
Love that phrase in Latin. I truly pray to live that way. I’ve been in the valley and desert in 2016 and as I’m closer to coming forth from the desert, my heart and soul yearns for his presence in this valley.
Chara Donahue says
Thank you for reading,Candace. I am praying for that 2017 brings new life and that you feel His presence with you wherever you go.
Dana Mohr says
Like another reader mentioned, I was deeply moved by a previous post about livhing fully. I’ve been pondering what that means for me and I believe God has revealed another piece of the puzzle through your post. Thank you for listening to Him so others can hear.
Chara Donahue says
Dana, thank you for reading. 🙂 May our wonderful God continue to reveal Himself as you walk with Him faithfully.
Stephanie Thompson says
“True life cannot ripen in a moment; it takes place when a life is nurtured, cultivated, and shined upon.” I’m going to savor this tasty morsel. Thanks for your post!