Live It Well

I think we can all agree that it is really easy to get caught up in the daily grind. We get distracted and lose sight of our purpose… if we really felt we had sight of it in the first place.

I have been challenged to examine my life in the weeks after Kimberly’s death. (If you are new to Well Christian Woman, Dr. Kimberly Trites was our founder and my good friend and colleague.) These past weeks have been a time of transition for me, and her death has heightened the awareness of my own purpose.

I have questioned the use of my time and how I respond verbally to others. I am thinking about the gifts God has given me and whether or not I am using them to help expand the kingdom of God.

Work has consumed a lot of my time. I’ve used it to fill voids. God has spoken to me about putting too much emphasis on work. That’s something I need to change.

It’s easy to place too much emphasis on things other than God. It can be children’s activities, exercise regimes, appearance, wealth, travel, etc. These can all be good and important things, but good things can still consume too much of our time and begin to take over our lives.

Psalm 90:12,14 has been a recurring verse to me over the last few weeks.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (14) Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for Joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:12,14

Another translation says:

”Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! (14) Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all of our days.“ Psalm 90:12,14

This psalm was written by Moses during 40 years in the wilderness with God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Aimlessly they walked in circles, accomplishing nothing and squandering opportunities. Moses knew they needed to get back on track.

I think many of us can say we are a lot like the Israelites, living our lives without purpose. We, too, need to get back on track. Life is short and none of us know how long we will live.

What does it mean to number our days? It doesn’t mean counting how many days we have lived or predicting how many days we have left. Numbering our days means realizing the brevity of life, knowing that we only have so many days on this earth.

If we were to number our days on our own terms we would grab some good food, new clothes, bucket list experiences and spend time with our loved ones. Unfortunately, we’d find out that the purpose of life isn’t about any of these things.

The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:

“Be very careful then how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most out of every opportunity because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

A heart of wisdom is a heart that learns that life is not about how much we earn, achieve or experience. True life is trusting the one who gave us life. The one who is Life.

The reward for a heart of wisdom is eternity. Living wise comes from knowing who God is and learning to increase our faith and dependence on Him.

Life can be difficult sometimes . When things are good, it is easy for me to live well, but truly living well is trusting God even when I feel weak and things are not going the way I had hoped. Living well is living for God’s glory, not my own.

The band Switchfoot sings a song that has spoken to me recently. It is called, “Live it Well“.

Life is short; I wanna live it well
One life, one story to tell
Life is short; I wanna live it well
And you’re the one I’m living for
Awaken all my soul
Every breath that you take is a miracle
Life is short; I wanna live it well, yeah

Though I may not always show the devotion I want to show, I have learned that a life devoted to God is a life well spent. As a believer I was made for Christ. If I am devoted to anything other than Him, no matter how noble that thing is, I am ultimately wasting my time. I am robbing God of the glory He deserves.

Lately, I feel a sense of urgency. An awakening. A need to stop lingering in the wilderness, but to press on to the promise land.

Each day I have started to ask myself whether I am I filling my days with everything that God would have for me.

Are there things in my life that need to change so that Jesus Christ is at the heart of all I say and do?

Once I started to ask myself these questions, it’s amazing the number of things that the Spirit has brought my way that allow me to take another step toward accomplishing what God has set out for me to do.

Life is too short to waste, I am encouraged to ask again at the end of each day, “Lord, did I live it well?” My prayer for all of us as we ask that question is that He will answer each day with a resounding “Yes!”