Living Well

Much has been said over the years for "living well."  I would imagine there are as many definitions for "living well" as there are blogs on the internet.  Each person might have their own idea of exactly what would constitute "living well." 

I heard a statement from a preacher this week, however, which gives what I think is the best definition I could ever hear of this phrase, although I don't think he was intending to define "living well" well he said this:

"We are always living unto the Lord, either well or poorly."

This statement really made me think.  Every moment, we have a choice. We are either living unto the Lord well, or we are doing so poorly.  The possibility of a qualitative difference in our living means  somewhere along the line there is a judge of our performance, for quality infers a performance review of such quality.

Many of us work in industries where such performance reviews are standard.  As nurses, we each have a review of our performance each year.  Additionally, our patients can send back surveys of how they perceived our performance and the performance of the hospital to meet their needs.  Often if the patient is particularly impressed with the nurses, they will name them in the survey.  This is something the nurses look forward to seeing.

As Christians, we each have an appointment for our own "performance review" regarding our lives.  It will review whether we have lived "unto the Lord" either well or poorly, as the preacher said.

   "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.   Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;    Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.    If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.    If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. " I Corinthians 3:11-15 

Let us make our choices, lives our lives -- "in newness of life" so that we have little loss on that day.  And let us look with hope knowing that " . . .then shall every man have praise of God," (I Corinthians 4:5.)

What could be "living well" more than living unto to the Lord well?

Matthew 25:21

"His Lord said unto him, 

Well done thou good and faithful servant, 

thou hast been faithful over a few things, 

I will make thee ruler over many things: 

enter thou into the joy of thy lord."