Since
my birthday is at the end of the year, I get a jumpstart about reflecting on
the past year and preparing for the year ahead.
After all that I have been through in the past year, I have a renewed
sense of living this life for what it is really all about. As my mind, soul and spirit connects more
deeply than ever to heaven, I see my life on earth in a totally different
light.
The writer of Hebrews gives us much
insight into this kind of purposeful living in Hebrews 9:27-28: Just as people are destined to die once, and
after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the
sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Real living is receiving each day waiting for Jesus’ appearing.
We need to be ever mindful that we
are destined to die. When our life ends
here it is just the beginning of what God longs to give to us. He loves us so much and wants to remind us
that this life matters mainly because it will be judged in some way that will
matter in our eternal life with God.
Jesus came the first time and did
His incomprehensible work of bearing our sin.
He made the way for the salvation He will bring at His second
appearing. Since our sins have been
covered by the cross of Christ, our life becomes about waiting for His
appearing.
Living life waiting for Jesus is
the way to start really living. What
does that look like? It looks like
paying attention to what earthbound life is about. It is about waking each morning and
acknowledging that God decided that you would live your life in this century,
in this time, in this place. No one
expects you to be able to comprehend the mysteries of the universe and the
purpose that God has for continuing the cycle of life of human beings in the
universe He created after sin. God does
expect you to open your heart, mind and spirit to the clues He gives about
living a purposeful life.
These clues are most apparent in
His word. Really living is about
thinking about God—praying often. It’s
about loving His Word, loving and forgiving other people, recognizing the
reason He gives you the resources you have and how you can help the poor, and
appreciating the abundance of His love that is stronger than the evil of this
world.
Really living is about active
waiting. It is about paying attention to
the mean time. It is about digging into
the Scriptures to discover what pleases Jesus most so that you are ready to
overwhelm Him with your love when He comes to bring your salvation at His
second coming, or when He sends to bring you to heaven.
I am living today with this purpose
in mind. I am sharing the secret to
really living with you in this weekly devotional. I plan to consider God’s purposes for
bringing the people I will meet with today into my life—the lessons He has to
teach me and the lessons He wants me to share.
I will take out the garbage, and run the dishwasher because those are
necessary chores while I wait. I will pass the time of my life anticipating
that I’m going home to where I really belong and the only thing I can take with
me are the good deeds I do for God’s glory!
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