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Sunday, August 20, 2006
In The Light of Eternity, Are We Running the Right Race?
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; ..."- Heb 12:1-2aMy very dear Nona-Merians,
As we go through school and lessons, day after day, week after week, month after month; most of the time we fall into this routine. I know I have before. It's so easy to just go through it day after day without batting an eyelid, and before we know it, a year has passed and we are promoted to the next year, only to join the "race" again.
After being in school for another week, I can already feel myself getting sucked back into the system. Sometimes, temptation arises and schoolwork crowds out conversations with my Lord on my knees. The packed schedule pushes away my reading of the manual of Life. Idle conversation with friends overshadows edifying conversation with brethren.
Because of this, we feel discouraged. There is emptiness inside. "Is life really meaningful?" you would find yourself asking.
Is your life meaningful to you? If not, why not? Who has the freewill to decide what to do in life?
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I stumbled upon a book in the "Left Behind" series the other day and flipped to a random page. In my own words, the main character (let's call her Rachel) was imagining what it would be like when we meet our Lord. How we were all lining up to greet and embrace Him. He, the one who died for us, who made us and who knows every single hair upon our heads... ...
Then came the refining fire where every believers' works would be tried... Where crowns would be forged to give to our Saviour...
Rachel shuddered as she recounted the many things she had done in her life. Yes, she had shared the gospel, passed out tracts and followed His commandments. But how about the other things which had no eternal significance?
No, not sin, but those idle stuff like reading a book that would entertain but not edify; watching TV programmes that just help "pass time"; other stuff that didn't cause us to sin but didn't count for anything either...
They would all be burnt up in the fire. Just like that. As if they had never existed.
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My dear brothers and sisters, are we now living a life full of purpose and direction which points others to Christ? Or are we just wasting it away? How many times have we engaged in activities which we know will not count for eternity? I know I have, many times and I have lived to regret it...
The beautiful thing about Christianity is that God didn't make us robots to follow His every command. Wouldn't it be boring if we were all robots without feelings and thinking? He gives us instructions on how to live life, and live it to the fullest! But He gives us the choice to do it.
Right now, in the light of eternity, are we running the right race? I'm not saying don't study or not go to school, we are all called to be students as well.
The question is are we doing our all for Him, pointing others to the Lamb of God? Running the right race not only refreshes us, but rejuvenates us, that we may have purpose in life.
Bros and sisters, let's lay aside every weight that doth beset us and hinder us from running for Him. This verse isn't just for you, it's for me as well and it serves as a reminder why we wake up to meet a fresh new day!
Life HAS meaning! We just need to know how to live it!
Your bro,
JonC
