What is life really? What is the true purpose for living? How should we live the life God has given us? What will happen when it comes to an end? These questions should provoke us to think about life seriously.
It is only when we know the answers that we will begin to live our lives intentionally and not take things for granted. You see, life is short and the older we get the shorter it will become. Hence it is incumbent upon us to live life well. In the biblical context, James does not give a definition of life but, rather, he expresses its brevity as that of a vapour that appears and then, just as quickly, vanishes (James 4:14). That is sobering. James warned us about making future plans and leaving the Lord out of them; of making plans without realising that we may not be around to complete them! Those are things we need to contemplate and heed as well.
Life is precious. It is a gift from God. He designed us to live with purpose. Having purpose gives us life and energy. If you take away someone’s purpose, all he or she has left is hopelessness and futility. Living with a purpose is a fundamental element of God’s original design. Unfortunately, many people in the world try to find their purpose apart from God – but they cannot. The purpose of our lives is far greater than our own personal fulfillment, our peace of mind, or even our happiness. It is far greater than our families, our careers, or even our dreams and ambitions. If we want to know why we were placed on this earth, we must begin with God.
It is sad to see someone take a wonderful gift and mistreat it and waste it, but that is what we oftentimes do when we do not know life’s real value. We live our lives based on material things of insignificant value – and not on eternal things that will last forever. We usually crave for success, but we need to be aware that success is not purpose. Many people in the world are successful and have millions of dollars, but they live a miserable life because they have no purpose. Without a relationship with God there is a void, a vacuum, in life. Our purpose is to do God’s will and carry out His purpose. The Bible says that our lives no longer belong to us because we have been purchased by the Lord to live according to His purpose. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. We were created to know Him, to love Him, to worship Him and then, as His agents, to extend His rule and His will into the world.
If we are not living within that purpose, we are going to find some other kind of purpose in our life. If our purpose is not God-centered, it ultimately is not going to satisfy. We will find ourselves still feeling empty on the inside, even though we are involved in doing good works, and accomplishing all our goals. Psalms 90:10 reminds us: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength, labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” “Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we are gone.” How are we preparing to go when our lives here would have come to an end?
Let it not be said of us, when our end comes, that we have lived a full life, a life filled to capacity with meaning and purpose, and pursuit and fulfilment, and satisfaction – yet we forgot God. That would be a wasted life. Death is not the end. It is the beginning of eternal life – one that never ends. Therefore, let us live with the end game in mind. Let us not live only for material personal possessions: money, land, houses, cars, clothes, pleasures – things we see, and touch, and feel, and experience – but for the spiritual as well.
The spiritual realm is the greatest – where we spend eternity with God. Tomorrow is the most uncertain, unpredictable friend we have, so let us make use of today – the present – and let our lives count for now and eternity.
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
Remember: “Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limitations on what you can be, have or do” (Brian Tracy).
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
