Acts 20:241: "I don't care about my own life. The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me -- to tell the people the Good News about God's grace."
Wow... What a statement by Paul: "I don't care about my own life." Can I truly say the same thing? As a human, I recognize my frailty. Something as simple as a minor cold is a reminder of my weakness; a microscopic organism has the power to reduce me to a sniffling mess. So, acknowledging my frailty, I have three options:
- Play it safe. Become protective of my body. Live in a way that "ensures" longevity (e.g., eat healthy, exercise, avoid risky behaviors).
- Enjoy life to the fullest while I still can. Live on the edge. Live for me.
- Recognize, as Paul did, that my body is not here to please myself, but to please God.
Paul did not "play it safe"; his life was continually in danger, but the risks he took were not driven by his own self-satisfaction. He knew his purpose in life: "that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me."
My life is not my own, "it was bought for a price."2
My Prayer: Lord, thank you for reminding me why I am here. Help me to lay down my life for you. Reveal your will for me today and give me the strength and wisdom to fulfill it. Soli Deo gloria. Amen.
1Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:20) taken from the New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.
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