Reflecting on Genesis 5:21-27, we have two important biblical characters who are Enoch and Methuselah. As father and son, they provide a composite picture of two lifestyles we may choose to live. Enoch, on the one hand, had a relatively short but meaningful life which speaks of the quality of life. Methuselah, on the other hand, lived a very long life yet the Scripture only says he died and that speaks of the quantity of years to live. Which is better of the two? Should we care about the quality or quantity of our years? The obvious answer is to add quality to our living. Notice two important questions.
Is my life satisfying to me and God? If we do not put to use all that we are, we are cheating ourselves. Some people rationalize and make excuses, but the wiser thing is to give reasons about our life. Even in the face of hardship or illness, it is a good idea to keep a sense of humor. Laugh often. Conversely, avoid developing an attitude or opinion under negative circumstances. If we don’t, we will be bathing ourselves with negativity. The great saints of God in Scripture were more serious about God and less serious about themselves. Stop to think about it .Our real selves, our souls, are imprisoned in carnal flesh that will soon pass away. Yet, it is so easy to be totally absorbed in the temporary things of this life including our own bodies.
Is my life spiritually sound? Just because we go to church, hold positions, read the Bible and sing hymns, does not mean that we are spiritually sound. All of those things are in the external world that other people see. We nurture our bodies, but it is so easy to forget about our spiritual life. Take this suggestion to make a spiritual inventory of yourself regularly. Speaking about things that matter eternally, it is so important to monitor growth and stability. The Bible may use different words as we are encouraged to discriminate between what is good and what is bad for ourselves. If a certain food has spoiled, we discarded it. If we allow ourselves to be in an environment that is not pleasing to God, changes need to be made.
The Bible admonishes readers to work, not be lax. Whether it’s physical labor or not, the work we do is a reflection of God because we really work for him and not our supervisor. Another idea that is difficult to implement comes in the way of caring for other people regardless of their appearance, attitude, and conduct. This is a reflection of how Jesus conducted his own ministry. Faith requires us to seek to do the impossible. That may be in the form of overcoming hesitations or a bashful nature. It might be to step out in faith to have a full-blown ministry that we never expected.
Unfortunately, so many of us are obsessed with preserving the length of our days. There’s nothing wrong with going to the doctor and taking medication as prescribed. Whether God allows us to have a short lifespan or to live a long time on this earth, it must involve quality of our days not just the concern to live longer. The fact is that God has numbered our days for his own reasons. We must take advantage of those days to be the best person we can.
Christian Writer 