By Riley Nelson, Minister, Richmond Hill Church of Christ
How can we live a better life? Could it be that we need a better job, or more money? Perhaps we need new friends? Our society seeks the better life in these and other things. Now there is nothing wrong with a better job, making more money and having new friends, unless they are all we live for. We must see that these are not the most important things in life. Here are a few suggestions for living a better life.
We need to realize the value of our souls. InMatthew 18Jesus tells of the shepherd that has a lost sheep and how he goes to retrieve the lamb. Then He said, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish”( Mat 18:14). To God every soul is important. We too must realize importance of the soul.
We need to comprehend the uncertainty of life. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). Everyone must die. Life around us shows us this fact. It matters not the great plans we may lay for the future; death can come when we least expect it. Jesus spoke of one who forgot to have God in his life. “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Preparing should take on the atmosphere of the occasions when we prepare to take a journey here. We make sure we have everything taken care of and have a feeling of excitement about the upcoming trip. Have we made sure we have all we need to make the trip into eternity? Are we excited at the thought of spending eternity in heaven? If not we should be! Paul spoke of it in this manner, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:…” (Phil 1:23).
The apostle Paul wrote about a people who “gave” to God. “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (1 Cor. 8:5). These are the words the apostle Paul wrote about the Christians in Macedonia. As he was writing to the Romans he implored them to develop this attitude in their own lives. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).
We truly need to give ourselves to the God of heaven. If we are preparing for eternal life our life will be better here for we will not hold this life quite so dear. Turn to God, study His word, and obey His word. Believe in Jesus as God’s Son, repent of your sins, confess Jesus as God’s Son, be baptized for the remission of your sins, then remain faithful to God. You can have a better life, but the choice is up to you.