By Chris WittsSaturday 30 Dec 2023Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
Subscribe to Morning Devotions podcast
Transcript:
A famous British poet called Lord Byron lived in the 1800s and was regarded as one of the greatest European poets and many still read his articles. He was a very gifted man, popular, travelled a lot and was deeply educated.
But on the day that he actually turned 36, he wrote this:
My days are in the yellow leaf;
The flowers and fruits of love are gone;
The worm, the canker, and the grief
Are mine alone!
That same year (1824) he died, a man who really wasted his life. He died too young at 36 years of age.
Let me tell you about another person, a lady who celebrated her 100th birthday. A party was held in her honour, and people wanted to know how she lived to be 100. How did she maintain her health and vitality at this wonderful age? She said:
Over my 100-plus years, I have seen many things. Much of these things have been wonderful but not all of it. And when life got toughest or when we were in the midst of a difficult time I would remember the wisdom of the words I was raised on, which were these: “Inch by inch, life is a cinch.” You see, long before I got to be a hundred and people thought of me as having the wisdom of age, I knew that what the Scriptures taught were right. Worry has never added one moment of time to anyone’s life. I don’t worry, I trust in the Lord and in that trust I find my strength and hope for today and tomorrow.
What a tremendous testimony. She had obviously learned early on that life was a gift not to be wasted. I believe it to be the case that we all have a spiritual hunger inside of us—but we just don’t call it that. We use phrases like, My life is empty, I’m bored, I’m restless, or Something seems to be missing in my life. There must be more to life than this.
Are You Getting Satisfaction in Life?
Even when things are going well for us, and when there seems to be success in life, there is this gnawing feeling on the inside—something’s missing! The Rolling Stones gave us the theme song for the Baby Boomer generation, “I can’ t get no satisfaction”. Why is it that so many people are so unsatisfied? Are they actually wasting their life?
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes:
No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied; no matter how much we hear, we are not content.
****
He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking wealth brings happiness!” (Ecclesiastes 1:8; 5:10 – TLB)
An artist came across a beggar sitting by the roadside. He painted the man, thinking of the fact that God created this man in his own image, and he could be someone, even though at this stage he was a beggar. The perceptive artist painted the man—picturing him in his imagination as what he potentially could become.
Then he called the beggar over to see the painting. Is that me?, the beggar asked. That is the you I see in you!, replied the artist. If that is the man you see in me, the beggar stated with a new purpose in his eyes, then that’s the man I shall be!
Find Your Value and Purpose in Life
When we realise our true potential, life becomes new and exciting, and we sense a mission awaits us. It’s a real shame that some people see themselves as of little value. They feel they don’t measure up. They feel that they’re not important—that they don’t matter. Yet God sees you as a person with value. He sees beyond your shortcomings and your sin. Beyond your guilt and unworthiness. You have great worth and value to God.
The Bible also says, “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire.” (Psalm 37:4 – GNT). Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 8:35 NIV).
You matter, so what are you going to make of your life? Do something with your life—you’ve been given a mix of abilities, talents, gifts, and potential that nobody else has. You’ve been given your own interests, desires, and dreams—God has given opportunities for you to develop your gifts. Consider how wonderful God is to have loved you so much that he would create you, love you unconditionally, and make you such a unique individual.
You have a purpose, a reason for being here. Why did God make you? To get to know, love, and serve him in the now and in the forever! So, don’t waste your life—give your life to God now. You won’t regret it.