A Life of Purpose

May 27 (Psalm 144:4)

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.  (ESV)

John Cougar Mellencamp recorded a song called “Paper In Fire,” and the second verse goes like this.

He wanted love

With no involvement

So he chased the wind

That's all his silly life required

And the days of vanity

Went on forever

And he saw his days burn up

Like paper in fire

Ask any adult and he or she will tell you.  Life goes by more quickly with each passing year, and before you know it your whole life can seem as insubstantial and fleeting as a breath or a shadow.  Whether your life is indeed insubstantial, however, is up to you.  If your pursuit is of nothing more than pleasure without the entanglements of responsibility, then life can become quite silly and vain, and your days will certainly burn up like paper in fire.

Yet if you realize that your life is a gift and choose to make of it a life of purpose, that is a different matter entirely.  A life lived full tilt, passionately, and with the greatest use and development of its God-given talents, a life lived in pursuit of something greater than itself, will pass just as quickly as the one spent in vanity, but it will be rich and full.  It will carry the weight of deep satisfaction along with magnificent joys and unspeakable tragedies.  In short, it will be a life well lived.

Father, may my eyes ever be focused on the deep calling of my life.  May I not be sidetracked with silly and vain temptations.  And when I come to the end of my days, may I not realize that they have been wasted, but rather that they have spent in work that is pleasing and acceptable to You, o Lord, my strength and my redeemer.  In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

What To Do Today

August 2 (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  (ESV)

King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, has just spent eleven chapters exploring the meaning of life.  It makes sense that people would want to flip to the end to see what his final discovery could be, and he does not disappoint.  Fear God, keep His commandments, the end.

Life is often filled with difficult decisions.  Which college should I attend?  Should I take the job with the higher salary that is farther away, or should I take the job closer to home and make a little less?  Do I pursue this relationship or bring it to an end?  These are not unimportant questions, but they and a host of others can consume our lives.  The next thing you know, you are lost in the weeds confusion, worry, and stress.

Living life based on Solomon’s conclusion will not necessarily make it easier, but it will make it right.  Unless our relationship with God is at the center of our lives, which means it shapes all our decisions and actions, our lives will quickly become a mess. 

Jesus, nothing is more important to me than my relationship with You, not my agenda for this day or my plans for the future.  Protect me from distractions that would draw my attention away from You and Your will for my life.  Amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins