What does God look at before he says “well done good and faithful servant”? How do you identify a life well lived? How should you as a believer in the Way measure a life well lived?
Let’s look at Enoch. In my opinion, he has the shortest citation ever for a man that lived for so long. Some called him a prophet. Well, it’s possible. I know for sure he spoke about the second coming of the Lord as recorded by Jude. Yet, nothing of his life was mentioned except for the children he had.
Today, I write to you about living the best life.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about what I would like to be written on the headstone of my grave (I know you are probably scared to start thinking in that direction). When “A life well lived” is put there, will it be true? Will it be the testimony of the brethren or the emotional cliché of the world?
I thought hard and long on different occasions and it opened some things up for me. One of the things the thought opened up was how naturally we focus on self even in the most spiritual things.
I can’t recall at the moment of writing this who made this statement or insinuated it. I once heard that a man preferred dying with a good reputation among men to confessing that he’s been wrong about some things and living out his days as ordained by God.
Listen, the sword of the Lord is still out there protecting the tree of life and anyone who will get to it must subject himself to the shredding and painful death of the flesh by this sword, then, and only then, shall they live.
Let me put it this way and simply. A life well lived, is a life that dies daily. Because that is the one that receives the resurrection of Christ.
Genesis 5:24 (KJV)
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Although Enoch didn’t die, if his family wanted to have a headstone for him, I believe the words of Genesis 5:2 would be appropriate. It summarized his entire life and all he’d done… All he did was please God.
Most of us love this testimony. We always talk about how Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him and we agree that’s a great life. However, I do not think our gaze is fixed on the real testimony.
Many times our emphasis is on the supernatural outcome that was determined by God’s sovereignty. We go on about how he walked with God so much that God had to take him. No, I don’t think that’s the focus. I’d like us to look at that same testimony in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:5 (KJV)
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.“
Kai!!! You know, when was to paste that scripture, as read that last sentence, my heart leaped again.
As a generation that is so desperate for the supernatural, we focus our attention on these supernatural manifestations and miss the very thing that God commends.
God is never going to ask you why by faith you didn’t escape death. He’s not going to ask you why you didn’t walk on water. God will not ask you why your blood didn’t cry out like Abel’s.
The end of faith is that you pleased God. Please do not miss it.
Except the things listed above are directly on the path in which God has called you to walk with Him, they do not mean anything. The testimony that must go before any splendour is that you pleased God.
So I say to you, no matter how far you’ve travelled, no matter how many royal handshakes you’ve gotten, no matter how many dead you’ve raised, no matter how many inventions you’ve had, no matter what you have achieved in life, when you have to go, whether by death or by whirlwind, let the testimony before you be that you pleased God.
This is a life well lived; A life that pleased God. Nothing more, nothing less.
Saints, I don’t know what you do with your faith but God must be the center of it.
Oh! Adelphoi, do you want to please God? You have to die daily to yourself and take upon you His yoke. For this is how you live well.
All this is by faith. Oh Lord, help our unbelief.
Photo Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/pXBWB5Xv6vSVbWJ58 https://images.app.goo.gl/QrJUxDQxCkp81VVs5
Ancient Word 