Living for an "IT": The key to making your life count

LIVING FOR AN "IT" : The key to making your life count

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

This is one of the most important part of the scriptures. In this scripture, there’s a statement made by Jesus Christ when he was about to die. This statement, to me, is the most important statement in the whole of the scriptures because of its significance. This statement makes a very strong difference in the history of humanity, and a strong marker in the program of God. It is finished . Notice that, Jesus didn’t say, I am finished. Rather, he said, it is finished. We need to pay very close attention to this statement because contained therein is a powerful lesson for us. 

There is no question about the fact that Jesus lived a fulfilled life while he walked the face of the earth. He lived to make greet impacts on the sands of time. The impact of his living is the reason why anyone who believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.  The sum total of his life is wrapped up in that statement he made as he was about to die. May you live a life that will count not only here on this world but also in eternity.

The first thing I like us to take cognizance of is that, Jesus made this statement when he was about to die. Prior to this time, he never had the reason to say something of such Why? Because  it wasn’t yet finished.  Secondly, immediately he uttered the statement, he gave up the ghost that is, he died. Note that, prior to this time, he had suffered great and excruciating humiliation. He had so much been beaten, and in fact he already lost so much of his blood at this time — a justifiable reason for him to have given up the ghost biologically speaking — but he was still alive. A spear was thrust into his side, and of course that led to him loosing a greater percentage of the remaining blood and water in his body. Yet, he never died! He was still alive. The pain from the crown of thorns worn on him cannot be overemphasized; the pain of the nailed hands and feet were much on him  yet he never still died. Jesus died immediately he uttered the statement it is finished. That means,  now that 'IT' is finished, there’s no more reason for him to be alive; he had to leave. Why? Because 'IT' is finished. What actually led to the death of Jesus wasn’t necessarily because of the sufferings he had gone through  — of course  they facilitated it — but because 'IT' is finished. He said it himself. And it was after he said it that he died.

Now what did he mean by saying it is finished . What he meant in essence is that, the purpose why he had come to this earth now had been fulfilled, and the assignment had been completed — at least to a considerable extent because he thereafter still continued in Hades, before he now eventually rose up the third day, and went back to heaven. 

What I’m trying to say in essence is that Jesus did not  die because HE, as a person, was finished but because, IT, his purpose, was completed. There were many occasions when Jesus could have been killed but never was he. why?  Because, the only thing that that had the power to make him leave this earth is the fulfillment of his purpose. It was his purpose — which of course was to save mankind from sinfulness and reconcile us back to God — that defined his life. He lived to fulfill it, and then he died, rose up again and went back to heaven.

You have lived for quite some number of years now, what exactly have you been living for? Life is meaningful to the degree to which you are able to accomplish that for which you were created. God Your creator  is not a waster of resources, and of course he is  a God of purpose. He would never have brought you into existence if there wasn’t any need for it in the first place. As a matter of fact, he saw your need (your purpose) before he created you. He created you because there was a need to be met; an assignment to be carried out; a plan to achieve, and a purpose to accomplish. However you came into this world doesn’t matter; what matters is that you are here. Live to make it count. How?

1.  Discover the reason for your living.

 It’s pity that many are existing but they are actually not living. You start living the day you know why you were born. Your existence on earth is not what matters to God; what matters is that you discover what brought you here, and you take responsibility to get it accomplished. Dear reader, why are you here? This is where real living starts from. You have been crossing over from year to another how much have you made the most of those years How long you have lived before now doesn’t move God, and doesn’t even make a mark in time; what matters is how much you have lived since you were born, and your living is meaningful to the degree to which you have lived to fulfill your purpose. But how can you fulfill what you have not discovered. Take responsibility to discover your purse in life. To discover why you exist, all it takes is to go back to your creator, and make your ways right with him. His Son Jesus Christ the Savior has paved the way open for everyone of us to come, if only you will believe in him, and accept his sacrifice on the cross which he made for your salvation. That’s the first step to understanding the reason for your existence. Having reconnected back to your creator, you need to know his word, This, you will achieve by digging the word of God, as contained in the Holy Scriptures. His word contains his mind,  plan, and Purpose. In it, you will get to know God more, and know his purpose for your life. In it, he will speak to you concerning what he has sent you to come and accomplish here. Then, prayer is another indispensable requirement. Prayer is a means of communicating with your Heavenly Father. And, it is through communication with him consistently that you can assess his mind concerning his will and plan for your life. For more steps you night need to take, you can read some of my other articles on this site.

 2. Take responsibility.

 It’s not enough that you discover your purpose in life. You must take responsibility to bring it to fulfillment. A man who doesn’t take responsibility for his life will no doubt end up becoming a liability in life. What are you responsible for? Jesus was responsible for something — IT (his purpose), and when that IT, was finished, he left. When you study the life of Jesus, you will get to realize that it wasn’t conventional. His life was quite different from that of the normal man. His schedules were so tight that there were no rooms for unnecessary and irrelevant things. He was so serious about his life to the end that he might fulfill his purpose, and reconcile man back to his creator. What a life! His unusual and unconventional lifestyle was due to his purpose that he passionately aimed to fulfill. If you still find it comfortable to live your life like everyone else does; giving yourself for whatever goes; doing what everyone else does. It is an evidence that you are yet to take responsibility for the fulfillment of your purpose. Show me a man who really wants to live a life that counts, and I will show you a man whose lifestyle will be different from the rest. Taking responsibility is the key to living a life that counts for the now and eternity. It is the way to outstanding accomplishment.

My question to you dear reader is this, what is your drive over day? What wakes you up each time you wake up from sleep? What motivates your actions, behavior, attitudes and conduct? What is that makes your living meaningful and really worth it? What is your own IT  that you are living for?