Discovering Meaning, Significance, and Fulfillment in Life
Discovering Meaning, Significance, and Fulfillment in Life.
1 Chron. 21-25
“Now, my son, the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you…Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.”
In 1984, Charles E. Hummell wrote a popular best seller entitled “Tyranny of the Urgent,” in which he warns the reader of the danger of being caught up in the urgent tasks that are demanding our time and energy, so that we are distracted from what is truly important. If we were to write a sequel for our age, it would be the “Tyranny of the Insignificant.” The tragedy is that many people come to the end of their life only to discover that they had devoted their whole life to that which has no significance at the end of life. We focus on advancing our careers and managing our financial portfolios. We get caught up in the pursuit of a hobby or the attainment of recognition by others. However, at the end of our lives, we discover that the pursuit of what the world has to offer us is ultimately the pursuit of what is meaningless. This is the conclusion of the sage who did a care examination of all the things that humans deem essential, and in the end, it all proves to be “vanities of vanities” (see the book of Ecclesiastes).
At the end of his life, when he was about to pass the baton of leadership to his son Solomon, David fully understood the folly of pursuing what the world deems necessary. Toward the end of his reign, he did what most kings do: he numbered the people and those who were fit for service in his armies. Rather than trust in God, he started to take pride in his accomplishments, only to discover that it led to the discipline and punishment of God. What man deems important is often a rejection of God. David understood both success and failure, both the blessing of God and the judgment of God. Therefore, as he passes the torch to Solomon, he gives him the lesson that he has learned. Success is not found in our accomplishments; it is found in our obedience to God. David instructs Solomon that the key to success will not be found in his accomplishments, his political maneuvering, or his accumulation of wealth. It will be found in his obedience to the “statutes and the ordinances which the Lord Commanded Moses concerning Israel” (22:13). For Solomon, the key to his success as a leader would be his obedience to the law of God.
The centrality of obedience to God’s law is equally important today. In life, we easily become distracted by the insignificant things of the present. We pursue our careers. We strive to build our financial portfolio so that we can have a secure and leisurely retirement. We strive for the reconciliation of men and the pursuit of the present. However, at the end of our careers, our accomplishments are quickly forgotten as others take over. Our financial portfolio cannot insulate us from the onslaught of age and death. The praise of others soon turns to ridicule. We become distracted by the insignificant.
Living life well, living a life with meaning, purpose and significance, living a life that has eternal value is attained in our pursuit of God and obedience to his word. Developing the discipline of evaluating your activities each day and ask yourself, “Am I pursuing a life of obedience today and his purpose for my life?” If not, then stop and do a mid-course assessment in your life. It is never too late to reorient your life to live in obedience to God. When you do, you discover your identity and will live a life that has eternal value and significance. Instead of being governed by the urgent or the insignificant, pursue a life of obedience to God, and then you will be genuinely successful and prosperous.
1 Chron. 21-25
“Now, my son, the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you…Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.”
In 1984, Charles E. Hummell wrote a popular best seller entitled “Tyranny of the Urgent,” in which he warns the reader of the danger of being caught up in the urgent tasks that are demanding our time and energy, so that we are distracted from what is truly important. If we were to write a sequel for our age, it would be the “Tyranny of the Insignificant.” The tragedy is that many people come to the end of their life only to discover that they had devoted their whole life to that which has no significance at the end of life. We focus on advancing our careers and managing our financial portfolios. We get caught up in the pursuit of a hobby or the attainment of recognition by others. However, at the end of our lives, we discover that the pursuit of what the world has to offer us is ultimately the pursuit of what is meaningless. This is the conclusion of the sage who did a care examination of all the things that humans deem essential, and in the end, it all proves to be “vanities of vanities” (see the book of Ecclesiastes).
At the end of his life, when he was about to pass the baton of leadership to his son Solomon, David fully understood the folly of pursuing what the world deems necessary. Toward the end of his reign, he did what most kings do: he numbered the people and those who were fit for service in his armies. Rather than trust in God, he started to take pride in his accomplishments, only to discover that it led to the discipline and punishment of God. What man deems important is often a rejection of God. David understood both success and failure, both the blessing of God and the judgment of God. Therefore, as he passes the torch to Solomon, he gives him the lesson that he has learned. Success is not found in our accomplishments; it is found in our obedience to God. David instructs Solomon that the key to success will not be found in his accomplishments, his political maneuvering, or his accumulation of wealth. It will be found in his obedience to the “statutes and the ordinances which the Lord Commanded Moses concerning Israel” (22:13). For Solomon, the key to his success as a leader would be his obedience to the law of God.
The centrality of obedience to God’s law is equally important today. In life, we easily become distracted by the insignificant things of the present. We pursue our careers. We strive to build our financial portfolio so that we can have a secure and leisurely retirement. We strive for the reconciliation of men and the pursuit of the present. However, at the end of our careers, our accomplishments are quickly forgotten as others take over. Our financial portfolio cannot insulate us from the onslaught of age and death. The praise of others soon turns to ridicule. We become distracted by the insignificant.
Living life well, living a life with meaning, purpose and significance, living a life that has eternal value is attained in our pursuit of God and obedience to his word. Developing the discipline of evaluating your activities each day and ask yourself, “Am I pursuing a life of obedience today and his purpose for my life?” If not, then stop and do a mid-course assessment in your life. It is never too late to reorient your life to live in obedience to God. When you do, you discover your identity and will live a life that has eternal value and significance. Instead of being governed by the urgent or the insignificant, pursue a life of obedience to God, and then you will be genuinely successful and prosperous.
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