Ecclesiastes 7:1-12
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
MAXIMIZING LIFE BEFORE DEATH
There are two important days in our lives: our day of birth and our day of death. The former indicates the onset while the latter marks our end. Both days make us prominent (in a way) because on these days, we are given our name on the birth certificate and on the obituary. From the passage, I remember the common birth-to-death indication that we see on the tombs as: RIP 1973-2011. The line in between these two numbers is a dash right? A dash means to rush, hurry, hasten and so on.. oftentimes, it pertains to a race. Indeed, in between the day of our birth and day of death, we are all in a race. Soon, all of us will draw into the finish line. Life is like a dash, quickly, we realize, days, months, years, have gone, then we asses, how far have we gone? Did we do good?
As Christians, it is important that day by day, we pursue Christ-likeness. God surely wants us to have a good name while we live. He wants us to have a life that will glorify Him. The passage: A good name is better than fine perfume in Ecclesiastes justifies this. On the day of our death, people will recall who we were when we were still alive. Were they blessed? Good name is achieved if we have had good character, the character of Jesus. This is better than fine perfume, which often gives out fine smell but in a while, it is gone. Good character leaves inspiration to people. Though we’re gone, our deeds stay in their hearts. And in the future, when we die, our life will have a lasting impact. God has given us all the capacity to think carefully about what will be left in our wake. Now, it’s a challenge for us to live and leave behind something eternally worthwhile.
I ask myself how am I going to maximize this life given to me by God. It is my desire to please Him every day of my life. One thing that enters my mind, I have to love others just how He loved them. Also, I keep in mind that in this life, I don’t need to be special in their sight (Because life is not about me but about Him). What I have to do is to remain focused on Him and be more obedient to Him, and all righteousness will be evident to others, who will later be inspired and blessed. I should never demand to be treated better than Christ. I want to live this life glorifying Him while rejoicing in facing adversities in life. Life is beautiful. God surely has a special thing in mind when He was creating me, and I want to surrender then pursue His plans for me before the dash ends.
(report on Ecclesiastes, GCUM, BCCL Legazpi, February 2011)
sub.by Lanilane Ocbina
sub.to Mrs.Racqel Kirk
