The value of life (1), By Sunday Adelaja

Today, I am continuing the second part of my article, THE ESSENCE AND VALUE OF LIFE. In the first part, I tried to underline the importance of valuing what we possess and the consequences we suffer when we don’t value what we have. In this second part of this article, I would be talking about what gives life meaning. I will also be talking about some factors that makes us to disregard life. The distractions that prevent us from thinking seriously about life. Finally, I would be making the point of what God expects life to be to all his children. How does God want us to live life? How does he look at life? What does he want us to emphasize in life? What is truly the essence of life?

There is such a wide spread understanding or lack of understanding, on the essence and value of life. Even though almost every living person one way or the other is in search of the essence and value of life, yet, more people tend to fall into the traps of life instead of discovering the true meaning of life.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, and to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Below, I am going to explore some of the very powerful things for which men exchange their lives. These things are so persuasive, powerful, dominant and convincing that many people almost don’t doubt their decisions to give their lives in exchange for them.

Things that seem obvious and convincing enough to men, are often foolishness to God. There is a scripture we are going to examine today that will greatly enrich our understanding about life. It is my belief that this passage of the Bible would become a lifeline to many of those reading this article.

I am hoping and believing for a great deliverance. A deliverance not from demons or generational curses, but a much more significant one. This deliverance I hope, will rip us off the grip of Satan, world and materialism. I believe this our deliverance will lead to us seeing life from a totally different perspective. This deliverance would lead us to a paradisiacal life while still on earth.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, “declares the Lord.”  This seemingly indistinct passage of the scriptures, is awesomely revealing.

God in his wisdom, identified three major areas, where men wrongfully devote their lives. These three things however, are not ordinary. They are a force. In fact, they are such a compelling force that only few men can withstand their enticement.

The Big 3 are: Wisdom, Power and Wealth. Dear readers, you tell me, are they not indeed compelling? Who will argue that wisdom is not a good thing? How many can despise the convincing force of power? How many will dare close their eyes to the seductive power of wealth? These Big 3, are indeed a force. A force that is difficult not to reckon with.

Yet, the author of life is giving us a lesson about the essence and value of life. The lesson from this scripture is not the easiest to fathom and agree with. But when we bear in mind who is the one speaking. When we come to think of it, that these are the words of the author of life himself, we all cannot but listen.

From that passage of the scripture above, God is affirming to us that wisdom as powerful as it is, is not enough a basis for boasting – we should never give our lives for it. Power as convincingly overwhelming as it seems, is not enough reason for boasting. Wealth as seductively necessary as it is, is not enough a basis for boasting – lives should never be exchanged for it. Wow! What a revelation!!!

Each one of these three inducements, are actually great enough to make life seem worth living for a lot of people. Millions are giving their lives in exchange for any of these allurements on a daily basis.

The world over, people are running helter-skelter in search of these three: Wisdom, Power and Wealth. Come to think of it, if anyone truly possesses wisdom, he would be set to rule and reign on the earth. We know that kings reign by wisdom. Yet as powerful as it is, God the author of life, is saying that wisdom is not good enough for boasting, talk less of giving one’s life in exchange for it.  Whew! What a humbling assertion that is!!!

Power, friends, is might. A man of power is often seen as a man of possibilities. We see in our world today; we seek significance through power. It could be through political power, spiritual power, economic power, financial power or media power. It is almost incomprehensible to try to think of accomplishing anything in this world without power. As a matter of fact, people will do anything to either get power or be around power. Either it is spiritual power, physical power, political power or economic power. To the ordinary mortal, these seem to be the kind of people that rule our world.

How would you then explain the fact that God would so trivially assess power as not a good enough basis for boasting, therefore, men should never give their lives for it? See friends, even power in all its ramifications is not good enough a reason for which to exchange life. To be continued

Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine.