BETTER TOGETHER | Turning the Key to "The Good Life"
Recently, the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development published “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.” The study concluded real, strong, connected relationships predict the health of our bodies and brains. These findings emphasize what Scripture teaches about “the good life.” It all comes down to fulfilling God’s call.
All are called. When we think about calling, we often think of pastoral ministry or missions. Indeed, I believe people receive a special call to these ministries. But God calls every person to follow and serve Him. He has designed us (Job 10:8; Psalm 139:14-16; Ephesians 2:10) and gifted us (Romans 12:6; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 12) to fulfill His mission. Living the good life results when we realize God is working in us (Philippians 2:13) to do His will. As a result, even when bad things happen, we understand God can use it (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Deep down, we know we are called. Sometimes we identify a specific call, like Jonah when he was called to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2). When he refused, Jonah certainly did not live the good life (Jonah 2). When we are called to do something and refuse to do it, we experience consequences. On the other hand, we find fulfillment in living out our calling, like Nehemiah, who saw a need and answered God’s call (Nehemiah 1-2).
A calling means you can’t sleepwalk through life. We are tempted to “go to sleep” to avoid problems, like Jonah who tried to sleep in the bottom of the ship to get away from God. It didn’t work. Even after God delivered him, Jonah still did not put his heart into going to Nineveh; he only went through the motions. And so, in Jonah 4, Jonah still was not living the good life.
On the other hand, Nehemiah was wide awake as he took steps to fulfill his calling by talking to the king and preparing to rebuild the Jerusalem wall (Nehemiah 2). His life was never the same. Sure, Nehemiah faced many obstacles, but you can sense he was living the good life in Nehemiah 3 when the people came together to rebuild the wall in only 52 days. If you see something needing to be done, it probably means God has called you to that work.
Our call involves people. Current research reveals you can’t have the good life without good relationships. As we represent God to others (2 Corinthians 5:20), their lives improve. Because Nehemiah answered God’s call, the people of Jerusalem had far better lives than they would have had otherwise. When we answer God’s call, people hear the gospel and are discipled in the faith, and churches and families thrive (Ephesians 4:13).
It’s not too late to answer your call (Romans 11:29). Jonah was reluctant to answer the call to Nineveh, but he eventually went. Perhaps he even developed compassion for the Ninevites after God challenged his thinking (Jonah 4:11). If Jonah really was buried in Mosul, Iraq, he returned to Ninevah. (On July 24, 2014, ISIS destroyed Jonah’s tomb.) At the least, the presence of his tomb demonstrates Jonah’s relationship with the people of Nineveh has endured, despite his reluctance to answer God’s call.
Let’s fulfill our call, even if we have stumbled a bit in the past. It’s the only way to enjoy the good life.
