Live Well: Elements of the Good life
Life is a precious gift. Each one of us is given a measure of it and without knowing exactly what that measure is, have a responsibility to live it well. Each and every moment of your life is a gift yet it all comes down to that very last moment on this earth. It is at that moment that persons often realize the quality of life they have lived. A moment when there is nothing more that they can do. In today’s post I want to encourage you to pursue the good life. The kind of life you might be proud of having lived. The kind of life where people will say long after you’re gone, this man or this woman truly lived. And their death is a victorious shout of their triumph.
We do not like to talk about death. It’s a dark cloud, it kills the mood. But life, the word itself is sufficient to spark excitement in us. It inspires us, gives us hope for the future, it motivates and thrills us. But its is also quite unpredictable. Many do not know the day nor the hour when their lives will come to an end. Neither do we collectively know when life as we know it on this earth will cease to be. Life is unpredictable. But the greatest tragedy isn’t an unexpected or painful end. It is a life lived without purpose, vision and faith. It’s a life lived without intention.
What exactly is the good life? At least the good life which we emphasize here on Royalty Press?
It is a life lived with intention. It is a life that when lived, the unpredictabilities and uncertainties of living are mocked.
There are three elements that I believe are key to the good life. These are purpose, vision and faith.
Purpose refers to your God given reason for being. It’s not about who you think you are, who you would like to be or who other people would prefer you to be. It is about who you were made to be, what is stored up within you to be poured out into the world in which you have been placed. It was Rick Warren who wrote:
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.
Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life
Once this is settled within you, everything that you do with your life will be built upon this. It is a foundation that is sturdier than self, fame, name or even the expectations of others. I have come to understand that it has to be bigger than me. I may struggle to accept it at times, especially in moments when I prefer to live on my own terms, but it always comes back down to: it does not make sense otherwise. Somewhere in accepting your God-given purpose you will come to face the necessity of service. It is here that you will be directed to your personal impact on the world. Here is where your individual life counts as your unique contributions are clarified. This brings us to the second element.
Vision refers to the how of your life. Where purpose may be the what of your life, vision is the how of it. You must now carve out a vision of how you will live your life, how you will engage with your purpose. This vision should also be God-directed, you can also clarify your vision with the help of others. The bible tells the account of the apostle Paul’s conversion. Prior to becoming a christian his purpose was to serve the church as he knew it. He used brute force and senseless violence against followers of Christ until he came face to face with Jesus and he became the foundation of his purpose. His purpose was now to serve Jesus. He was also given vision. His vision was to impact the world by bringing the truth of salvation to the gentile people (which was once withheld from them). He used that same passion and zeal to carry out this new vision and considered himself as a drink offering being poured out. The bible says that ‘where there is no vision the people perish’ (Prov 28:18). To live the good life (a life directed by God), you need direction. How will your live your life? What will you commit yourself to. Finally…
Faith is the thread that pulls and holds it all together. Faith refers to your heart towards God and what you have decided to commit your life to. To walk by faith is to carry out the vision and hold fast to the purpose while trusting God’s expected end. See for us, life is unpredictable, we often have no idea where the next step will take us, but faith allows us to take that step anyway. If the purpose is God-given and the vision is God driven, faith must hold it all together.
These are the elements that are necessary for the Good life.
If your purpose God-given? do you have a vision for your life? are you walking by faith? If any of this made sense to you, if it encouraged you in any way, let me know in the comments below. If you have questions feel free to contact me using the contact form available.
Live Royal & Be a blessing
KellyP
Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.