A Life Well-Lived

This is your one and only life.

Your time on earth is not a dress rehearsal, and there are no second chances. You get to play one round of life, hit the ball where it lies, and aim to finish well on the final hole.

Life is short. It’s over before you know it. The Bible compares life to a shadow that will not stay (1 Chronicles 29:15 NIV); a flower that will soon wither away (Job 14:1-2); a passing breeze (Psalms 78:39); a whisper in the wind (Psalm 39:5 CEV); and a puff of smoke that disappears (James 4:14 GNT).  Moses states plainly, “We live seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty); And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.”

In 2003 my wife died unexpectedly at age 51. We buried her body in a local cemetery and placed a tombstone on her grave. On the right-hand side is carved her name, date of birth, and date of death; but it’s what’s on the other half that catches my eye. The headstone is already inscribed with my name and my date of birth, followed by a dash. It’s a sobering reminder that some time, some place, and somehow I have an appointment with death.

Someday that gravestone will be engraved with my date of death. The chances of that happening are about 100%. The real question is, “What will I do with my dash?” My goal is to live a life well-lived, the life God intended me to live. When I die I want to be able to say as Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth, by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4 NIV)

Someday, you too will die. The chances of that happening are about 100%. What will you do with your dash? You only have so much time left on earth. In fact, today is one less day than yesterday. How will you choose to make your one and only life count for Christ?

Most people are regular folks the world never notices.  But many of these common, ordinary people deliberately choose to impact others far beyond their earthly lives. God specializes in using everyday people to accomplish His purposes.   “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9a Message). It’s not too late to plant seeds that will make this world a better place after you’re gone.

Life is short. It’s over before you know it. The type of life you live is based on your underlying purpose in life. A life without a clear purpose becomes a daily struggle for survival. People whose purpose is success find that they never quite measure up. But if you want to live a life of significance – to make a difference in the world – then live to serve others. That is a life well-lived.

© 2011 Designed to Serve