Purposeful Living
Monday Reflection – 08 January 2018
Purposeful Living
When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
Psalm 146:4
Somehow there is the potential for us to hide when we read this text and reflect on its stark reality. As I read it last week, I unconsciously avoided it. I didn’t realize until I read it again yesterday and noted the jolt it caused at its declaration.
We are forced to reflect on:
1. Death – This is the inevitability of humans. The Bible is replete with descriptions about the uncertainty and brevity of life. These include: life is like a mist, a vapour, a hand-breath. David says in today’s text that we will die and return to the ground and then our plans come to nothing. We came here empty-handed and will depart the same way. Have you ever thought about the volumes of thoughts, plans and resources that are buried in a graveyard?
2. Life – I believe that today’s text is not meant to deter us from planning; but only to remind us that our plans will one day come to an end. More than that, planning without the direction of God will get us nowhere. The text challenges us to live each day purposefully by putting our trust in God, and not princes nor mortal.
Jesus asked in today’s Doctrinal text: Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? Matthew 6:27. The answer is obvious. In fact, worrying only reduces life and stifles our energy and capacity to achieve our highest potential. We are to give it all to God, seek our help from him and hope in him. We are to seize the moments of each day and make the best of it, always ensuring that God is glorified. Our plans may die, but we have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy by how we live each day.
3. After death – Death comes with finalities, but death is not final and will not have the final say. Breath will one day depart from us, we return to the dust, our plans will perish, but the story doesn’t end there. We have to face the ultimate Judge who determines how we spend eternity. Our end is based on how we lived each day. We ought to live with eternity in view.
In life there is death, yet in death there is life eternal.
Till next week, live each day as if it’s the last.
Jermaine Gibson