Life is Precious

It's an overused saying. It's nearly lost all meaning.Usually you hear it when someone passes away unexpectedly - life is precious. But do we believe it? I feel like it takes those tragedies for us to remember just how precious - and fragile - life is.

I'm no different from everyone else. The reason why this is on my mind is because someone I knew suddenly passed away this week. She had longed for a baby and been told that she couldn't have one, but miraculously, she gave birth to a healthy baby. She had five days with her precious new life before she lost her own. Life is precious. Her life was precious. Her baby's life is precious.

I get so busy. Life moves so fast. I look at my children and can literally see time passing. Calendar pages turn. Each day is ticked off. We anticipate certain dates and countdown to them only for them to pass quickly by and fade into the past. I can almost sigh with King Solomon as he says, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."

If life is precious, what can we do that matters in the world? Life is vapor (James 4:14). It's here and it's gone. We don't know what tomorrow brings. Sometimes it can feel that we struggle and work for nothing. What is the point? Solomon summed it up nicely in Ecclesiastes 12:13. "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

1 - "Fear God". God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8) He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign God of the universe. He alone is worthy of praise. He executes justice and yet is merciful. He protects and provides. God is to be feared as the ultimate Judge, and He is to be respected as the King of kings. When we place God where He ought to be placed, when we revere and honor Him, when we allow Him to be in charge, life looks different. It's not that it's easier, or that we never question why certain things happen, but we can trust that He's control and that He has a plan and a purpose - even if we never see it.

2 - "Keep his commandments". There are many commandments: honor your father and mother, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, you shall not bear false witness - and those are just part of the ten commandments. What about the other commandments? Which ones were for Israel and which apply to the church? Or are they all for both? Every commandment falls under the "Great Commandment". Lawyers asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 says, "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Love God with every part of your being and you'll live your life in obedience to His Word. Love others as yourself, and you'll follow the rest of the laws. Loving God you'll put Him first, you'll want to please Him. Loving others you'll put their interests above your own. Those two things could change the world.

That's all. That's what matters. If we fear God and keep His commands, we'd spread the Gospel which can change lives. We'd love others so strongly that the world couldn't help but see Him. We'd be bold in the Spirit. We'd be a people of prayer because we'd finally understand the power that is found when go to the Almighty God with our requests. We'd want to know His Word so that we could follow Him. The church would look so different - I would look so different. 

Life is precious. Fear God. Keep His commandments. That is the whole duty of man.