For God so loved the world that He gave...
John 3:16 gives us a wonderful equation that tells us how to truly live
Love + Giving = Life
This principle works for virtually anything. For example if you want a life as a business man, then love what you do, give your time, offering, tithes, energy and you’ll have a business life. Apply this to all other areas of your life.
However, the kind of life you want will determine your love and your giving. For Eternal life you have to love God, people and give your life.
To live is to die and to die is to live. Jesus understanding this said “except a corn falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone (i.e. though the corn has life in it, it is not living until it dies and then lives/germinates). If your life revolves around you, you and you, then you are not living yet. Life starts when a man presents himself as a pleasing sacrifice, holy and acceptable before God.
Mark 8:35 NLT: If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.
You want to truly live? Then propagate the gospel. Spread it wherever you go. Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Make God’s will your number one ambition. Put God first, not your life, not your personal prayer requests, not your lusts and fleshly desires, not your hunger or thirst for revenge. Make God your priority and do whatever pleases Him.
Those who still live till today in the good book of history, are those who were selfless. Those who gave their lives to service to God and humanity. They were problem solvers, not necessarily because they had their own problems solved but because they made themselves available to solving other people’s issues, in-spite of theirs.
Paul the apostle had an infirmity, a secret issue that he prayed a lot about, yet he went about saving other people and healing them through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He lost his life but in actual fact, gained it.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth had Judas a betrayer as one of His disciples. But knowing this did not stop Jesus. He put aside His pain and hurt from a betrayal, and sold out His life as a price to have the entire human race reconciled to God.
This week, make up your mind to truly live. Love and give.