"Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
I run after so much in search of relief from the meaningless routine and the pain of life in this broken world: pleasure, frivolity and fun, numbing addictions, industry and success, personal kingdom-building, material wealth, entertainment. But I'm still hurting and empty inside. Where lies the answer for my purpose?
Fear God. Many believe He exists, even if they say He doesn't. All of us are confronted with His handiwork on a daily basis, unknowingly driving us to make a decision about Him, whether we realize it or not (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:19, Acts 14:17). Mankind is constantly either turning away from God or toward Him in both infinitesimal and enormous ways. Is there a designer of this flower which I admire? How does the sun rise like clockwork each day? What kind of design went into the intricacy of the human hand? Is there a standard by which I am measured or is life mine for the taking with no consequences to bear for my actions? I can either acknowledge Him or I can refuse to recognize the Mastermind behind all of creation.
Fearing God, however, goes beyond mere recognition of a Creator, a righteous Judge, a benevolent Being. As James wrote, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder." (James 2:19) To fear God is to revere, honor and respect Him. Fearing God, realizing His holiness and righteousness causes me to tremble, to recognize my own inadequacies and my utter depravity, my filthiness before His own purity. Fearing God drives me to the cross where the blood of Christ covers my sins making me appear white as snow to this God whose mercy on which I depend. This kind of awe drives me to live in holiness, to offer my whole self as a living sacrifice, to give as He has given to me (1 Peter 1:15-16, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 4:32, John 13:34).
To find meaning and to stop wasting my life I must fear God.
Live His Way. It's my way or the highway. I did it my way. Like it or lump it. There are many ways to profess my desire to live according to my own plans and desires, and how to tell others to mind there own business when it comes to how I live my own life. It's my life, I can do what I want! I defiantly proclaim. All the while, I'm broken inside and suffering the consequences of defying the One who holds the blueprint for my life (Jeremiah 29:11).
I can either fight against God, or I can cooperate. I can stubbornly insist on living as I always have, or I can submit to the transformational work of the indwelling Spirit through faith in Christ (Romans 12:2). I can walk in my own strength and according to my own rules, or I can hand God the reigns and live in tandem with Him (Galatians 5:16). Only He knows the purpose for which He created me so I'd be wise to let Him have His way in my life.
To discover the secret of a meaningful and fruitful life, I must live God's way.
Judgment is Coming. I accepted Jesus as my Savior, what more do you want from me? It's easy, and actually quite common, for people to think this way about their lives. After all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about what I get from God through faith, right? The abundant life filled with unconditional love, acceptance into His kingdom forever, a Father who takes care of my needs. You know, I'm just too blessed to be stressed, so highly favored am I.
This kind of prideful attitude denies the seriousness of the eternal judgment from which I've been delivered, but also the accounting that will be demanded of me when I finally face the righteous Judge. I will not be condemned, no, but there will be some kind of reason expected from me for every idle word spoken, a reckoning of what I did with Jesus in this life (Romans 8:1, Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, 1 Peter 4:5). While my actions here on earth may no longer carry eternal consequences because of what Jesus has done on the cross on my behalf, the way I live does bear weight on what is to come. I may not be punished according to my iniquities, but there will be some kind of accounting of what I did with the grace I was so freely given (2 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 22:1-14). I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Therefore, it is my desire to live on purpose, keeping my eyes on the finish line (Philippians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
In order for my life on earth with a purpose, I must realize everything I do here counts.
There is so much for me to spend my time doing, but Solomon realized most of it is a waste. The conclusion he came to is one I can benefit from heeding: Fear God, live His way, and realize judgment is coming. When I live according to these truths, I will stop wasting my life and start living the meaningful life in Christ!
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can live each day on purpose.
How do I live as if my words have no eternal impact?
When do I focus only on the here and now and fail to realize I'm in a race that has a finish line?
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