The One That Really Matters

This post is just to remind us of who really matters in this journey of life. This Life we live here on earth is fun,  it is good. it is awesome but it is not forever! there is another life after here that we hoping for, desiring to partake. A life that will be forever with the Lord. However, that life is promised, based on how we  have lived our life here on earth.

This life we live now is the life we choose. We choose how we want to live our lives, we make our own plans and chase after our dreams. We aim to accomplish desired goals for as long as we still alive. We want to live our lives to the fullest without regrets which also makes us do whatever we want even if it would costs us something. All we want is to be happy and enjoy our lives. We strife to satisfy our flesh with pleasure, we toil and labour for abundance or increase .We want to possess and inherit. And yes this is okay, there’s nothing wrong with this, it is bound to happen because we are in the world and the Lord delights in the prosperity of his servant (Psalm 35:27). God wants to see us blessed, established, successful and living well. But the problem is that we put our whole attention and focus on all these things, on our lives and yet they are passing away,  this life is too short, it is like grass, we flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more (Psalm 103:15-16). We here today and gone tomorrow.

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labour; And this was my reward from all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done. And on the labour in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. ( Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

In this chapter Solomon expresses to us how this life is vanity or worthless. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, he was a very wealthy man. God blessed Him with riches more than any ruler had and ever will. God gave him glory and honour and was greatly known all over the world at that time. He says in the above chapter, that he got whatever his eyes desired, whatever he yearned to have, he got it.  He allowed his heart to enjoy the pleasures of life, he pursued and accomplished. He rejoiced in all that his hands had done. He delighted in the gain of his works.  However he saw that all this was vanity, worthless. There was no profit in enjoying and possessing all that he desired. There was no fulfilment, satisfactory.  This is how we are, we pursue the pleasure and fun of this world, we strive hard to get what our eyes desire, this can be the next big party, outing, dance club. We hope and plan to have huge money to travel, own mansions, boats etc.  drunkenness due to excess wine, pornography, violence, etc, we search for these and more to gratify our flesh to enjoy all these pleasures.  But what do we gain if we obtain all this, and enjoy them. We still feel empty, lacking, no peace and freedom, we are not complete, not satisfied. This is why Solomon says there’s no profit for all these for  what profit is there in? what do we gain?

For God will bring every work into judgement, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

In Ecclesiastes 11:9 Solomon tells us that its okay to rejoice in our youth. Do whatever our heart desires, but also warns us that we should  know that God will bring us into judgement.  He is going to judge every work that we have done on this earth including everything done in secret whether it is good or evil. This then means that God is watching and recording our lives, how we living, what we doing, every work or activity we doing while we here. Therefore he goes ahead and warns us by telling us that we should put away evil from our flesh, for all this is vanity. So then if life is vanity and all there in then what really matters in this life? what really profits? How can I live my life knowing I be brought to judgement in the end.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

Jesus is the one that really matters in this life, He is the Life. He came so we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus came so that we may have and enjoy life to the full until it overflows. This means that He knows and has every need of our hearts. He provides our every need, meets our desires, gives us peace, freedom, strength we need everyday. In Him we get to enjoy this life so much because as He leads us, He resurrects everything dead in our lives, He restores what the enemy has stolen from us, He forgives us when we sin, He patiently waits for us and does not leave us. He satisfies our longing souls,  He completes us. We can never lack any good thing for He is the source of all things. We are fulfilled in Him. He makes us great, raises us up, brings us from glory to glory, He beautifies and makes our lives beautiful. There’s huge profit gained in living your life in Jesus. Only those who believe and live in Him will never die, though they may die in this present life, they will still live in the life to come. We get to live with him forever here and in the life to come. Though we die in this world, we are promised eternal life with Him.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?  Mark 8:35

This shows what is more favourable to us in our lives, what we choose and whom we choose to follow in this life. Whatever it is, there consequences for our decisions. If we choose to live this life for Jesus, we will lose our lives, our lives won’t matter anymore, but Him only.  Our attention will be on how to please Him, do what pleases Him, which will cost us so many things even to the point of death, we will have to deny ourselves, sacrifice our lives, including jobs, money, fame, desires, pleasures of this world, for Him and for the gospel. But even so we lose it all, we save our lives for eternity. we save our souls so we don’t perish and go to hell, but rather live forever with Jesus.  There’s no profit in having all the fame, the wealth, the mansions, the cars, the best of best without Jesus and lose your soul. There’s nothing dreadful as this. The soul does not die, the soul is you as a person or human being. So when we die, this soul goes back to God who made it, and is judged based on how it has lived on the earth. Then this soul which is you and me either goes to hell or to heaven for eternity.

Brethren we can have what we want; a beautiful career, beautiful house, job, everything we desire. The scripture says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) Jesus is able to give us everything we want and desire along as we take great pleasure in Him and not in this world. He can give us more exceedingly the best than what this world has to offer. He gives it to the full until it overflows.  Therefore it is only Jesus that really matters in this life, not that degree, job, status, career, money, fame, lifestyle etc, because all this will fail you, but Jesus can never fail you. If you take great pride in these things, they will disappoint you. But Jesus can never disappoint you. So, let us take great pride in Jesus, boast in Him, focus our eyes on Him, choose to live for Him daily because in the end, when everything falls apart. He is the rock, the Saviour, the Lord. Jesus is the one that really matters.

I pray that you and I do not get carried away by the things of this world but rather fix our eyes on Jesus and live to please Him always. May the Lord Keep and sustain you and I to be with Him in this life and in the life to come. Amen

God Bless you always.

Love you.