Text: Psalm 90:12; Matthew 6:33
By: Whiskey, Joshua
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INTRODUCTION:
Today we shall consider the topic: how to make the rest of your life the best of your life. King David was concerned about how to live the best of his life. In Psalm 90.12 he says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” The Bible in Basic English has it this way: “So give us knowledge of the number of our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Now, what this means is: “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them wisely.“
Someone has observed that life is like a dollar bill. You can spend it any way you want to, but you can only spend it once. That is how our lives are. We can live it any how we want to but we can only live it once.
There are really only one of two ways people can spend money. It is either wasted or invested. The same is true with life. Now whether you are young or old, healthy and wealthy, or weak and poor, you can either waste your life or invest it. But if you are to start life all over, how will you live? Listen to what the Lord Jesus says about how we are to live our lives: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). The request of King David and the statement of Jesus show how one can live the rest of his life the best of his life. To be able to live the rest of our lives the best of our lives, we need the wisdom to:
- SET PROPER PRIORITIES. Everything about our lives rises or falls with our priorities. If your priorities are not in order, your life will not be in order. If your priorities are not right, you won’t be right. To set proper priority means to put first things first. When one consciously, continuously, constantly and consistently put first things first, his life would be at its best. Jesus Christ has told us what our number one priority in life should be: “seek ye first the kingdom of God.” The word seek means to “actively pursue” or “to go after.” Every day of life one ought to seek first the kingdom of God.
But in order to seek the kingdom, one must first seek the King. Since there cannot be a kingdom without a king, the first priority of life is to seek and have the King of the kingdom. This means one must have God first. When one has the God of life, he can live the best of life. Anyone can seek the Lord and find Him. It is interesting to know that God does not have any favorites, but He does have intimates. James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you” In Jeremiah 29.13 God says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” We are not just to seek the Lord but to seek him first. Setting proper priority means putting God first. It is by faith we seek God. Hebrews 11.6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” Faith therefore means putting the Father first. God does not want a place in your life, He wants all of the place. Jesus wants preeminence in your life. He wants the first moment of every day. He wants the first day of every week. He wants the first part of every paycheck. He wants to be first. He wants to be the King on the throne of your heart. This is the beginning of living the rest of your life as the best of your life.
As we seek the king, then we are to seek his kingdom. The kingdom of God ought to be the obsession of our lives. The word kingdom literally means rule or reign. A kingdom is a place where a king rules. To seek the kingdom of God is to seek the rule and the reign of God over one’s entire life. When one truly seeks the King and his kingdom, then he is seeking for three things:
First, it is to seek for the glory of the king. The apostle Paul writes, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31). This means every part and parcel of one’s life, ought to be given for the glory of God. Second, it is to seek for the guidance of the king. A loyal subject always wants to do whatever the king would have him to do. It is important to begin each day by asking like Paul, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” Third, it is to seek the government of the king. A loyal subject desires to be controlled by the king, to be governed by the king, to be ruled by the king. The greatest liberty in the world is found in being controlled by the right master. The fact is that when one wants God’s will to be done in his life, then the person will always have his own will done.
- SEEK PERSONAL PURITY. To be able to live the best of life, one needs to seek for personal purity. Jesus says we are to seek God’s righteousness. To seek God’s righteousness is to seek God’s character within us. A man with the character of God will live a pure life. It is only when we live a pure life that we make a difference in the world. But purity of life begins with the quest to seek the righteousness of God. This means: (i). We Must Desire It – We do what we really want to do, and we are what we really want to be. Whenever we desire the righteousness of God, we will try to seek personal purity. (ii). We Must Derive It – As we desire God’s righteousness, God is able to work in us. God is interested in what He can do through us. It is possible to attain to God’s righteousness. Paul writes, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (iii). We Must Depict It –We need to show what we are interested in. We are to live like the subjects of God’s kingdom. This is the only time we can live the best of our lives
III. We need take God’s promises for it. In order to live the best of life we need to take God’s promises for it. We need to believe that what He has promised He will do. Jesus promises that to those who seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, “all these things shall be added unto you.” Now what “things” was the Lord referring to? He was talking about all the things that people worry about. People worry about finances (v. 19). People want to heap material possessions for themselves. The desires to have more money has created unnecessary worries for people. But then Jesus says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal” (Matt. 6.19). People worry about food. The quest to have more food has been a concern to everyone. We are concerned about what to eat and what to drink. But then Jesus says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matt. 6. 25). People worry about fitness. People are concern about their height. They are concern about their complexion. They are concern about their appearance. But then Jesus says, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matt. 6.27). People worry about fashion. We always want to distinguish ourselves by what we wear. We feel bad within us when we wear clothes and no one says “you are looking good.” The desire to get approval of people has made many people to enter competition with what they wear. We are worried about the clothes we want to wear. But then Jesus says, “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin” (Matt. 6.28). The worry for the above-mentioned desires has made many not to see the promise of God nor enjoy them. No one lives the fullest of life if he allows these worries to cloud his mind. Jesus says to worry about all of those was characteristic of the Gentiles: “For after all these things the Gentiles seek” but then He says the Christians are not worry like the Gentiles because “for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” Matt. 6.32). The Lord has promised to provide these necessities to His people. To live the best of life we need to see these promises of God as they are. Then believe them as they are. In order to guide our desires, we need to understand four things: First, you don’t need everything you want. Second, you don’t want everything you need. Third, God doesn’t give us everything we want. Listen to the confession of an unknown confederate soldier:
I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for – But everything I had hoped for….
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered
I am among all men most richly blessed.
Fourth, God always give us what we need. When we see and accept God’s promises as they are we will enjoy the best of life. When we depend on the Lord, He always supplies our needs. He is faithful to His promises. He is able to do exceeding above all we ask or imagine. It is possible to live the rest of our lives the best of our lives. This is possible when we submit ourselves to the leader of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
To make the rest of our lives the best of our lives, we need the wisdom to know that our days on earth are few. That we don’t have much time to live. For that reason we need to allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord. We need set proper priority. We need to seek personal purity and we need see and takes God’s promises as they are. May God be with us in Jesus name. Amen.
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