Live Well, Live Wisely, Live Humbly

Live Well, Live Wisely, Live Humbly

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“Live well, live wisely, and live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.”

James 3: 13b MSG

Do we really know how to live well? Does that mean we have more stuff? Does it mean we see more things? Does it mean we have plenty of food even throw food away? Does it mean we have more than enough clothes, some we haven’t used in years but are there just in case? Does it mean we know more and more people, few of whom we really do life with or even talk to? Have more and more Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followers and that’s whom we call our friends but don’t ever even meet most of them? Not so much.

All of those things can be gone in an instant. They are nothing more than a “mist.” Those things really don’t give us what we need to build the foundation in our life so we can go through the storms becoming better people. They are outward things that we forget, throw away, moths eat or we eventually dump, people we often don’t even remember their name, wouldn’t know them if we passed them on the street. This is more the truth.

One day your health seems perfectly normal and the next your world is torn apart by death, sickness, accidents, mistakes that can’t be reversed; whether made by us or someone else. The storms they come and they go but how we respond, how we live, how we view life, and with whom we do life will be determined by the things we choose to influence our life. Where do we go for wisdom, strength, and hope? What are the things that we allow to form our view of what living well looks like?

So what do we consider when we think of living well? Let’s consider a foundation from which to build.

Jesus said there are only two commandments.

“Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.” This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

Matthew 22:34-36 MSG

With those two commands as our foundational requirements, where do we go next?

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. Even though he was the ancestor of Jesus, King David made mistakes along the way. He paid the price for those mistakes but those mistakes never took him away from God. They drew him to God. He knew his need for God. He knew when he followed the path he lived life well, so did his people and the nations with which he stood. He was considered historically, one of the greatest leaders in the world, even today.

Here’s what he says to God.

“By Your words, I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.

I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order.

Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word.

Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules.

My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed.

The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.

I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever — what a gift! And how happy it makes me!

I concentrate on doing exactly what you say — I always have and always will.”

Psalm 119:105-112 MSG

James, the brother of Jesus provides practical ways to live life well. He starts with:

“Dear brothers, what’s the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?

So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all — it is dead and useless.”

James 2:14-17 TLB

When we live a life with a purpose greater than us, one focused on God’s plan it doesn’t matter WHAT stuff we have. It matters what we DO with what we have. Our sense of well-being isn’t then dependent on our circumstances. It is dependent on our relationship with God and how we choose to love one another; love being an action word, not an emotion. So what does love require of me?

And there is more from James…

“Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.”

James 4:1-3 MSG

O how we would love to think this is about someone else. But, if we’re honest, it starts with us. How do we treat others? Do we have the “keep up with the Jones” mentality? Do we see what the other person has and wish we had it? Okay, more than wish, we want; regardless of the price. Do we see something on TV or the Internet and do whatever it takes, including running up credit to get it regardless of our budget? Do we argue with those in our family, sometimes even violently because we don’t get our own way? Do we eliminate relationships because of those fights? This is where living well runs into a wall.

So we, ourselves, personally need to go back to God and say; “I need Your help.” “I need Your forgiveness.” “I need Your grace.” “I need Your Word to be a light to my path that I may live well in this world.”

If we love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves, can we start again today with reaching up and then reaching out in love to those around us; even those that are not so easy to love?