Living A Christian Life That Matters

We all have pursuits in life, whether we weigh it out as an ambition or simply live our lives in a certain way day after day, there is something that we are all pursuing. For a Christian our hearts should be focused on living a Christian life that matters.  Believers and non-believers alike can fill their lives with things they think are important, while in fact their endeavors are fruitless when put in the light of an Almighty God.

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Jesus Christ – the Foundation

Sometimes we feel if we had unlimited money we would be happy. Somehow we could obtain all that we ever desired. Or the thought pattern that if I have enough money to afford to spend my time however I choose, I’ll have ‘arrived’. But that is not true. What we do in this life is measured on the scales of our perfect God and it is either of lasting quality or temporal.

I Corinthians 3:11-15 reads:

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

Riches and Emptiness

F.W. Woolworth was fabulously rich. He left a fortune to his family from his successful Woolworth stores by the early 1900’s. In fact he had one of the largest fortunes in the world at that time. In 1933 his grand daughter Barbara Hutton at 21 years old inherited some 50 million dollars. But even with all of these worldly possessions she couldn’t seem to find lasting happiness and peace. Sadly, she battled drugs, alcohol, and the eating disorder anorexia. She was married 7 times to men who included Cary Grant, a prince, and a count but still happiness eluded her. Broken physically and financially Barbara died a recluse of less than 100 pounds and with about $3,000 of her 50 million dollars left.  She was only 66 years old.

Christian Life

Don’t misunderstand. There are believers with great earthly possessions who have been used mightily of the Lord. Count Zinzendorf was very wealthy and he used his funds to spread the gospel and write some hymns we still sing today.

The Christian life is so much more than living for yourself. It is sad when believers get saved and then really go no further in their walk. They are satisfied to appear in church on Sundays and maybe teach a Sunday School class once in awhile. But their daily lives are focused on themselves — where they want to go, what they want to do, how they want to spend their time and efforts– without thought of how the Lord see’s what they are doing. And what is mind boggling is they THINK they are living a Godly life and are close to the Lord.

Sometimes when people are blessed financially they believe they are in God’s will. And conversely just because someone else is struggling financially the other person must not be as close to God as they are. What a paradox.

A Life That Matters

A life that matters is what will stand the trail by fire. The first step is salvation– accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Then things like investing in people’s lives, witnessing, giving your time, talent and treasure to the local Bible believing church, etc. These are the things that make a difference. We are to live in this world and but we are do to it with a heavenly perspective. Its’ OK to go out and run everyday for exercise, but even better if you take tracts with you and try to pass them out. Within our daily lives we need to use these activities from both work and play to create opportunities to meet people, invite them to church, and witness to them. This should be the normal Christian life.

Christian Living

Solomon was probably the richest king in the Bible, but he struggled with feeling unfulfilled. From this perspective he penned the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 2:1 reads,
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

But at the end of the book Solomon admits that the only thing that is worth living for is the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Let us here the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Living a Life That Matters

Living a life that matters begins and endures with living for God’s pleasure. Our service to him is the fulfillment of making things count. If God is laying on your heart areas where you could use your outlet more for his glory, then be open to that. When we all stand before Christ our works will be weighed out. The fire will ignite and the works will pass through the flames. Only those with lasting treasures will have something left that is not reduced to ashes. The verses in I Corinthians promise we will still keep our salvation if we don’t live for Christ, but how empty we will fell when we have nothing to cast at the Lord Jesus’ feet before his throne someday. So take today and begin living a Christian Life that matters in the light of eternity!

Headwaters Baptist Church

 

 

 

One that someday will amount to something once it is tried by fire. The Bible describes a life lived for the Lord as being made of gold, silver, and precious gems. But a life that is lived for oneself, or something other than the Lord amounts to no more than wood, hay, and stubble.