Friday, September 11, 2009

A Full Life

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
—Philippians 3:8

Today people are thinking about what to do to prolong their lives, whether it is through stem cell research, cloning, cryonics, or the latest potion or lotion. I find myself laughing at some of the things I see advertised with the implication they will help me live longer. I realize that people can eat all the tofu and wheat germ they want, but their lives will end when they are going to end.

Yet some people become obsessed with the concept of living longer. According to a LIFE magazine cover story, there are some scientists who suggest that we can and will stop aging. But the article went on to ask whether we would really want to stop aging. In other words, do we really want to live forever? I guess it comes down to what kind of life you are living. Medical science can seek to add years to your life, but only God can add life to your years and give you a life that is worth living.

Our objective as Christians should not be to merely live long lives; our objective should be to live full lives, meaningful lives, and purposeful lives.

Jim Eliot is one example of a Christian who did this. As a young man, he felt God was calling him to take the gospel to a tribe in Ecuador then known as the Auca. Tragically, Jim was martyred along with four other missionaries in their attempt to share the gospel. Jim once wrote in his journal, "I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus." That is a good thought: Life is not a matter of years; it is a matter of what we do with them. What are you doing with the years God has given you?

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.  

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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