byEveryone, from children to the elderly, wants to be successful. Nobody likes failure. Right? But only a handful of people go beyond wishfully thinking of succeeding to actually doing the things that bring success. On the part of the children, parents cover the cost of their education and career development, enabling them to excel in various fields of life. For adults, they typically take responsibility for their own lives and invest in furthering their personal education. But have you thought about excelling in Christ? If Christianity is all about heaven, then why does God give people purposes to fulfil? Think about it!
Living a selfless life
Jesus said in John 2:25 (NKJV) that
[25] “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
The statement above may seem confusing to the layperson. But it contains key principles about eternal life that every Christian must embrace. When you love your life, Jesus says you’ll lose it. But when you hate your life in this world (evil age), you will keep it for eternal life. What does that mean?
Loving your life speaks more about living selfishly. It’s about thinking so much about yourself and your needs that you never think of sacrificing even a little of your time to others. Jesus says having that kind of lifestyle will lead to a loss. But loss in what? Loss of eternal impact in God’s kingdom. In that loss can be relationships that could have enhanced your life, opportunities to improve, and an increase in certain areas of your life. Think about this. There is much more blessing in living a selfless life than you think. You will live a more fulfilled life when you give than when you receive.
Spend and be spent
So, if God doesn’t want you to live a selfish life, what does He want you to embrace instead? Sacrifice powered by love. That is what will help you to impact many for His kingdom. If you spend your life for the needy with intentionality, you’ll keep your life for eternal life. Meaning, you’ll preserve your life to do kingdom-oriented works for the benefit of many. Isaiah 58:10 (NKJV) says,
“If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.”
Please read that carefully. To truly shine, you must extend your life to those in need. And by using the word “need”, I am not only referring to financially impoverished people, but also to those lacking spiritual nourishment and love. Many people are deceived and treated badly each day. Will you allow yourself to be listed among those evil people doing this? No! Let your life count!
You are a blessing!
