“For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.”
Several Years ago coming back from Albany I read an interesting saying on the bulletin board at the Church of the Nazarene: “Are you living or just existing.” It is a good question. Our text was about finding the wisdom of God to find real life. (The “me” in our text is spoken by “wisdom.”) The question asked by our title suggests that there is real life that is full of meaning, or there is life that is not full of meaning and just goes on from day to dreary day. I want to share with you what I have found to be real life that has kept me from “just existing.” Proverbs 9:10 records that: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I believe that a full and meaningful life begins with a deep reverence for God. People sometimes take God lightly by calling Him something like “the man upstairs,” or the “old man in the sky,” or some name that takes away from the reverence and worship of God. Life is made more meaningful when we worship our Creator. I can’t imagine anything more boring and meaningless than going through life thinking that there is no God, no Jesus who loves people sacrificially. If we would “find life” we would live for something beyond ourselves. A lot of the problems that people have today is that they live only for themselves. They could be good providers for their families, good citizens, involved in the community, but their lives are not built on anything beyond themselves. Everything that they do is for their own good or for the good of their loved ones. The parameters of their lives are too small. If all I had to live for is myself, I think life would be humdrum, and that I would be merely existing. It is good to go to bed each night and know that God/Jesus is alive and at work in the world through the Holy Spirit. It is satisfying for me to know that He loves me and has use for me in His purposes for this world. If we would find life and not just exist, we would have a great purpose for being alive. It begins with receiving Christ as Savior and finding our purpose within His will. This came easily to me because I was called to preach at an early age, and was the pastor of a church when I was twenty-one-years old. I have often said that the only reason I persevered through college and later through seminary, then a year of further study was that I had a purpose for doing it. If I had just been floating through college, I probably would have “shipped over” in the Navy. Now you know that Christian ministry is not the only thing in my life, for I have two daughters, a son-in=law and four grandchildren. (I also have two Grand=dogs.) They are all very special to me, but having a great purpose has even helped me enjoy them more. You don’t have to be a preacher to have a prevailing purpose for your life. You can be a servant of God wherever you are and whatever job you go to each day. Having God involved in your purpose would make you a better plumber, a better salesman, or whatever your occupation. I have known many fine lay people whose lives were enriched in every way that their purpose for living was to please God. If we would find life and not just exist, we would really serve God with all of our hearts. Jesus said that He came to bring abundant life to those who would believe in Him. That abundant life includes loving God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength. It also involves loving our neighbor as ourselves. If a person loves God and people he or she will be really living and not just existing. Look at your own life and ask yourself if you are really living or just existing. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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