MARVELOUS LIFE

"Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t

squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us" (2 Corinthians 6:1, The Message).

Whether you know it or not, God has given you a marvelous life.

According to my Bible, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. From the beginning, you were a distinguished and marvelous creation of our excellent God (Psalms 139:14). Everything about you is unique, beautiful and super. It has to be so because a Creator like God almighty could not have done any less. Friend, it is a good life that you have been wired to live. Please don't squander it.

The Scriptures talked about a young man who had the best of opportunities life could ever offer. He was born into a wealthy home and had a loving father who was ever willing to give him the best of all things. But he messed up everything and wasted the resources that would have turned him into an outstanding personality. That was the

guy popularly referred to as "the prodigal son". To be candid, the prodigal son had a truly marvelous life going for him. But he

squandered everything in his crazy bid for needless pleasure.

Needless pleasure. That is the bane of our modern society. We specialise in expending the treasures that God has given us in the

pursuit of vanity. The treasures of good health, beauty, strength, money and materials that God has given us have been instruments of carnal gratification that never add positively to our lives. The rate

at which we abuse our wonderful human body with alcohol, tobacco, junk food, sex, etcetera has reached unprecedented phenomenal proportion.

Check the story of the prodigal son again, it is our passage for further reading. He had the best opportunity of his life to become

great, but he wasted it. With what must obviously have been a huge startup capital, he could have built a flourishing business that would have been the talk of the town. It was his God ordained chance to surpass his age mates and peers in the corporate world of that time.

He could have gone on to establish himself as another young rich ruler, employing several others and contributing his quota to the development of the local economy. He could have gone on to get married to a responsible lady, raise great kids, have a good family and enjoy the marvelous life God wanted him to have in the service of God and humanity. But he blew it all, squandering everything that should have

made him great on women, wine and wantonness.

But I am glad to know that his story did not end like that. He came back to his senses, repented and retraced his steps to pick up his life again. Though it may not be as marvelous as it originally was, he was glad to turn from the meaningless lifestyle to begin again the good life he was meant to live. That must be the ultimate lesson to

learn from the story of the prodigal son - that you and I can begin again to live aright this marvelous life God has given us.