Over the past month I was able to see a faithful follower of Christ go home to be with The Lord forever. It was beautiful! Never in my adult years have I seen a more beautiful home going than this. Mrs. Ceceil Davis is her name. Beautiful inside and out. I saw her from the beginning of her diagnosis journey to her family finishing well with her. And as I chatted with one of my best friends, Camille (her daughter in-love) on the phone we began to relish the beauty of God's handiwork fulfilled in Mrs. Davis. I am not a crier but Mrs. Davis is a woman of faith. Her legacy will never be fully known until we see Jesus. But, as I sat at her home going the Holy Spirit began to reveal basic truths through her life; what I would call what a "well-lived life" looks like.
A well-lived life is what I desire in a culture that promotes a consumption of self mentality. My heart longs to live "spent" for a worthy calling. Mrs. Ceceil lived a life "spent" for the audience of One! She understood what Paul wrote to the folks at Phillipi,
"21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me;"(Phillipians 1:21-22a)
So, you are probably like, "Shebs, what are the keys to a well-lived life? A life fulfilled."
Okay, here they are.
1. Love well.
Living a well-lived life is reflected in how we love others. I don't know if its just me, but loving people ain't easy. I mean really loving them! Loving them in the good, the bad and the ugly is. not. easy. People got issues ya'll and so do we! So if this is the case, how do we love well. Well, 1 John 4:7-8 says,
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.…
I find it interesting that in order for me and you to love we have to be born of God and know Him. So, I can be born of God and not know Him, and won't be able to love someone genuinely. That word "know" is linked to a deep, embracing, engaging relationship with God. Pretty simple. We love well when we recognize we can't love without God's love living and active in us. That my friend is loving well. Let me ask you a question. Have you been born of God(salvation) and do you know Him(relationship)? If not, you can know Him like this today. I mean like right now. He is right here, right now. All you need is to ask Him and he will abide in you. (If you took this step email me so I can help you grow in your new love relationship with The One true God).
2. Live well.
You know this may seem like a piece of cake, but this can be challenging with out the Holy Spirit living in you. I find that I can be a good "moral" person and check the boxes of doing good deeds. But, the creator of the universe, God himself, created us to live in a manner worthy of the call he has given us. God is not asking us for perfection living. He is asking us for purposeful living. I love how Paul put it over in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,
…6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Living well is a life poured out sacrificially. It's a heart decision to serve instead of being served. Living well is fighting for good, finishing God's course for your life, pressing in to stay faithful in all things. Oh, girl this is the good life! This is where it's at! To know that I can rest assure that my treasures are in heaven, but even the more experience TRUE rest in The Lord while here on earth. The question is, are you living well? Are you experiencing Gods TRUE rest for you while you are still breathing?
3. Lead well.
Although I don't have the opportunity to sit and blog, I do enjoy doing this. You may ask why? I'll be honest, God made me and influencer. He purposed me to lead. For many years I ran from it. I ran from it because of what it demanded from me and still does at times. Eventually, I had to embrace that there are people God has called me to encourage, teach, and lead. And if I keep running eventually, I am gonna wear myself out and miss what God is trying to do for His glory in my life. Do you have anyone in your life? Well then you are an influencer. You have an assignment to lead well. Leading well is leading by example. I love what John 3:30 says,
30"He must increase, but I must decrease.
Leading well is a life of seeing Christ work increase more than seeing your own work increase! It's not about you, but about whose in you! Will you allow God to lead you, so you can lead others for His glory?
I desire to be a person who loves well, lives well and leads well. I know it can be accomplished, because I saw someone who lived it, Mrs. Ceceil Davis. The question is will you?
xoxo,
Shebs
Pause: Meditate on the scriptures and the three areas of a well-lived life.
Ponder: Where is God asking you to seek him in becoming well?
Petition: Spend time before God confessing where you fall short and worship Him for who He is and how He is at work in your life!
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