What is Your Life?

A dear friend of mine recently posted that her best friend passed away. From the pictures of her friend it was evident that the person that passed was one that was full of life, a person that had a great future to look forward to.

The loss of life, especially of a young person, should remind us all how short life really is. After experiencing such a loss some would say "Live life to your fullest!"

But that begs the question, what is living to your fullest? The bible says in James 4:14, "... What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." And James 4:15 continues with, "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'" From a biblical perspective, living life to your fullest can only be accomplished when we live our lives according to God's will for us.

The problem is that living God’s will is hard and not something we can do on our own strength. It means disregarding our own desires for that of someone else (God's). In the book of Matthew 16:24 we read as follows:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"

Let us start to live to our fullest by follow Jesus Christ and walking in the path that He laid before us. Let us live in the fullness of God and His Holy Spirit for that is the gateway to the fullness of life.

My prayers are with the family and friends of this young woman. I pray that each of us may reflect on this and seek to live according to God's purpose for our lives before the the vapor that we call life runs out. I pray that we may reach the fullness of life! Eternal Life in the presence of God through Jesus Christ the Lord!

Biblical references:

Psalm 103:15-18 (NIV) - The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV) - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

1 Peter 1:13-25 (NIV) - 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy."

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

"All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

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