God Wants You to Have a Beautiful Life
Written by Jimmie Burroughs – e-mail to a friend
Isn’t it ironic that many spend an entire lifetime searching for something to fill the void in their heart and pay to have a beautiful life when they can receive it from God — FREE? God wants you to have a beautiful life, and God, in His word, tells you how. In a world so void of a beautiful life, why wouldn’t anyone be happy to receive it? The best answer to that question is because they do not know how to receive it. Would you like to know how?
The idea “what makes a beautiful life” differs from person to person. For some, it is fulfilling a dream, while to others it is reaching a certain status in life, but is there a formula that works for everyone. The answer is yes. According to the wisest man who ever lived, it is not by fulfilling personal aspirations but by developing the proper attitude toward God.
King Solomon Invested great wealth in searching for what made life beautiful, and at the end of his search, he concluded that it was all vanity. The bottom line according to Solomon: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
Understand, living a beautiful life does not mean freedom from trouble. Trouble is an integral part of life, which includes pain, suffering, and sorrow. The beautiful life is living God’s best plan for your life, which includes faith, love, joy, peace, and hope. God is omniscient, therefore knows far better than anyone what a beautiful life is and what makes life beautiful.
Solomon’s definition of a beautiful life is respecting God and keeping His commandments – that is a godly attitude. At least five things should comprise our attitude toward God, according to Solomon’s teachings:
- Agreeing that all human effort apart from God is vain
- Willing to put God first in life
- Realizing our accountability to God
- Submitting everything to God
- Concluding that all good gifts come from God
Agreeing that all human effort apart from God is vain
Setting goals and getting things will not fill the longings of the heart. Remember the experiences of King Solomon who tried everything he could think of and concluded that all is vanity apart from God. Settings goals and accomplishing things in life are good if it includes God. Having things that we want and need is also good. The point is priority. We are God’s creation; therefore, our allegiance is first to Him.
Willing to put God first in life
Putting God first goes against the flesh. It is the nature of the flesh to put self first. The flesh (not the body, but the human mentality apart from God) is worldly in nature and directs us toward worldly things. This is the natural result of sin entering the human race. Therefore, the purpose of the Bible is to teach God’s ways. That is the substance of Christian personal development, to allow God toguide each person to spiritual maturity. This is sanctification in the Bible. Sanctification involves submitting to God and His plan for lifeon a daily basis.
Submitting everything to God
The Apostle Paul aptly states, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord,” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Submitting to God allows the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ. The Bible refers to this as walking in the Spirit rather than walking in the flesh, Galatians 5:16. God through His word provides all we need for spiritual maturity when we apply them to our daily walk. Submission is a choice of humility, a choice to learn from God, in order to grow spiritually.
Realizing our accountability to God
Accountability is necessary for every aspect of life. For example, we are accountable to a higher authority, the law, to family, friends, and others. The purpose of law, whether it is from the Bible or the law of the land, is to hold people responsible for their actions. We live in serious times when the trend in our nation is away from God. Just as individuals are accountable to God, so is a nation. Our charge, as believers, is to uphold the faith and share the good news of the gospel, which is the only freedom from sin and death. We are accountable to God to declare His truth, not only by word of mouth but also by how we live.
Concluding that all good gifts come from God
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” James 1:17.
Many of the best gifts of life from God are taken for granted; they include air, water, and a life-supporting atmosphere. Green and blue are two of the most comforting colors, and they are predominating in the earth’s features, sky and vegetation, another thoughtful gift from God. Even wealth and all the material things, which add comfort to life, are from God.
His Son, Jesus Christ, is God’s greatest gift to man. Jesus gave himself a ransom for sin. Because of God’s gift to us, we can receive forgiveness for our sins. God’s gift also includes a beautiful life here on earth and eternal life in heaven. The only true peace and joy is a gift from God to those who believe in His Son. You can start your beautiful life today. Invite God into your life.
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents) in your personal growth.
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