Can we live a better life? Could it be that we need a better job,or more money? Perhaps we need new friends? Our society seeks the better life in these and other things. Now there is nothing wrong with a better job, making more money and having new friends, unless they are all we live for.
We must see that these are not the most important things in life. Here are a few suggestions for living a better life.
We need to realize the value of our souls. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells of the shepherd that has a lost sheep and how he goes to retrieve the lamb. Then he said, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Mat 18:14).
To God every soul is important. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24 – 26). We, too, must realize importance of the soul.
God has blessed us with the time we have now to prepare for eternal life. It is up to us to take advantage of these blessings. Yet how easy is it to get caught up in all the cares of this life? It takes a constant effort to keep our mind on the goal set before us. That is probably why there are so many warnings against worldliness in God’s word.
James wrote, “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13 – 15).
Preparing should take on the atmosphere of the occasions when we prepare to take a journey. We make sure we have everything taken care of and have a feeling of excitement about the upcoming trip. Have we made sure we have all we need to make the trip into eternity? Are we excited at the thought of spending eternity in heaven? If not, we should be! Paul spoke of it in this manner, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” (Phil 1:23).
If we are preparing for eternal life, our life will be better here, for we will not hold this life quite so dear. One day this world will be gone. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:9 – 10).
Turn to God, study his word, and obey his word. Believe in Jesus as God’s Son, repent of your sins, confess Jesus as God’s Son, be baptized for the remission of your sins, then remain faithful to God. Remember, life is uncertain.