Focus: The Essence of Life (Pt.1)

Text: Jb.10:12; 33:4

"Thou hast granted me LIFE and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit… The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me LIFE."

God has a reason or purpose for everything he has made. Life is more than a mere existence. It has meaning. But let's inquire of the meaning behind life. It's radical and vital that we make that inquiry.

Every time I look at life I see two kinds of it: life as it is and life as it ought to be. Unfortunately, every one seems to be living life as they met it or see it, not really as God designed it to be. I call it life on the traditional level. That is life as we met it or life in general. It's the normal life that we know, or say, life on the surface level. It is the life of sleeping and waking up, working and earning a living, marrying and raising children, and so on and so forth. But let us ask, Is this all there is to life? Is there no more to life than this? The writer of Ecclesiastes came to the conclusion that this brand of life is nothing but a vexation of the spirit, and says it is "vanity of vanities; all is vanity."

From one of my unpublished works, I give you one acronym of L.I.F.E.

*Loan for investment

Life is more than a gift: it's a loan. God requires that you make the most of it. There ought to be a sure return on investment.

Live your life knowing it's something loaned to you. God owns it and you owe it. God is the master and you are the manager.

Life is sacred; don't soil it.
Life is a treasure; don't trash it.
Life is costly; don't cheapen it.
Life is a loan; don't trifle with it.
Life is short; don't waste a moment of it.
Life is a seed; don't eat it.
Life is sweet; don't lose its taste.

May the Lord help us discontinue living life by default and start living it as designed by God! Amen.

We'll continue tomorrow with the second aspect.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter