Daily Devo - Monday, April 28, 2008

"…and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ."

Philemon 6 (ESV)

Most of us have been to at least one funeral. As is typical, the minister and various family/friends stand to declare the virtues of the deceased. Sometimes we sense disconnect between the person described and the person we actually remember. However, even though these descriptions may be fanciful, they do remind us that there is honor in a life well-lived.

How, exactly, does one define a life well-lived? What would such a life look like? Generally we list such attributes as 'kindness' and 'gentleness'. Others may consider 'self-control' or 'selflessness' as virtuous. One person might believe the tell-tale sign is 'friendliness', while another would list 'hardworking'. We could go on…

In his letter to Philemon, the Apostle Paul points to the true mark of a life well-lived. All other marks, while in many ways good, are in and of themselves insufficient. A life well-lived is a life lived according to its original purpose. A shovel works well when we use it to dig. We can also use it to slice tomatoes, though all would admit such a use deviates from its design. Most people live life contrary to the purpose for which they were made. This is a sad truth, but more importantly it is a dangerous reality. Though belief in the reality of Hell doesn't "sell" very well in our modern culture, the fact is that Hell exists for people who live contrary to their original purpose. Despite what we may hear at funerals, Hell is full of hardworking, kind, and friendly people who lived contrary to the reason for which they were created.

Paul is reminding Philemon that the purpose of life—indeed the mark of a life well-lived—is for the sake of Christ. God created human beings in order to bring Him glory. Our purpose is to bring pleasure to Him, even as He showers us with love and blessings. Our churches are full of people who are "nice", "kind", and "friendly", but who fail to live their lives for the sake of Christ. To rephrase the eminent puritan John Flavel, "Christ shall be the center to which all lines of my [life] are drawn."¹ This is our great and glorious purpose, and the very center of our lives to which all spheres of life should point. In other words, we are to be the best parents we can be for the sake of Christ. We are to be hardworking employees for the sake of Christ. We are to be kind to the waitress for the sake of Christ. We are to treat our spouse with love and affection for the sake of Christ. We are to be patient and tender to our children for the sake of Christ.

Our purpose is so very simple: live our lives in such a way as to demonstrate the beauty of Christ to the world. Flavel goes on to say that the best artist in life is the one who "can most lively and powerfully display Jesus Christ before the people". ² One day we will all meet Jesus Christ face to face, and he will ask us one simple question: "what in your life was done for my sake?"

A life well-lived is a life lived for the sake of Christ.

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1} In the original quote John Flavel was speaking of his own ministry as pastor. The unedited quote is as follows: "Christ shall be the center to which all lines of my ministry are drawn". The Works of John Flavel, Volume 1, p 33 (Banner of Truth).
² Works of John Flavel, Volume 1, p 39.