davidbowerkingwood

 What now, where do you go from here?

In the first article I mentioned how much of who you are was beyond your control; your genealogy was instrumental in the creation of most of your physical characteristics. There are, however, many significant areas where you can make a difference in your life on this troubled world. A great deal has to do with how you perceive yourself and your situation which is largely dependent on your worldview; how do you see the world and your place in it?

I delight in seeing the world as God’s creation and seeing myself as a small part of his creation; it is a cause for great joy to know my very existence is dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ and I exist as an expression of his will. Starting the day with that thought helps keep the events of the day in a proper perspective; adding to that my favorite life verse, Galatians 2:20, completes my daily mindset package:

    “20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Your Journey Through Life

As we live our lives on this world it is vital we recognize only one decision on our part has intrinsic, eternal value; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

I concluded my article on “What is Reality” with this statement:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have effectually and successfully responded to true reality; your life will have been a success regardless of whatever else may happen.”

Once a commitment to Christ has been made we begin the process of being conformed to the image of his son, Jesus Christ; that process is unique for each of us and can lead us over many diverse paths. As we traverse those paths we are given many gracious and loving promises on which we can depend; I have come to depend on several which are given to God’s children in the Bible, I’m sure you have yours.

It is important to realize that this process of being conformed is a journey and there are things we must learn as we travel our journey. I frequently think on Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11-14 where it is written:

11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Note particularly how Paul writes, “I have learned;” no one is born with the knowledge needed and it must be learned if we are ever to successfully put it into practice in our lives. What is critical is we learn this from a source on which we can depend, the Bible.

Evaluating our Lives from a Biblical Perspective

If our lives are to be a true success we must evaluate our priorities in the light of eternal values, not temporal ones; while the world attempts to convince us of the beauties and values it can offer it is vital we look beyond what is perishing to what has eternal values. We read in Mark 8:36-37:

³⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? ³⁷ Is anything worth more than your soul?”

The world and all it contains is destined for the fires of judgment; it is truly foolish to place one’s hopes and expectations in something which will not last.

In Micah 6:6-8 we are given a glimpse of how God sees us and our lives:

“6 What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.”

I think we can all agree that is simple and straightforward enough; to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God! Perhaps all beyond this simple declaration is of the world and not of God.

Receiving and Believing True Reality

I have found the best choice in life is to trust God and fully believe and act on what he has written in his holy word, the Bible; when I am told he loves me and is working all things together for my good I choose to embrace such a wonderful truth as a basic reality of life. When I am told he works all things after the counsel of his own will I am compelled to add that to the list of what I believe about reality.

When I am told his love for me will never fail and I am his forever, I rejoice in that truth and let it dominate my thinking; I am his and he is mine, is enormous and simply must provide the foundation for everything else in my life!

Two of my favorite verses are found in Proverbs 3:5-6 where it is written:

^“5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.”

Those verses have provided a secure anchor in some very serious times of testing; praise God for his loving mercy and grace! May our Lord bless and guide you as you seek to honor and glorify him with your life!