Written By: Zenani Sizane
We all are constantly looking for ways to live an extraordinary and fulfilling life. Most people desire to make the best of the life they have been given and to live it well. At times though, it can be difficult to figure out how to live your life well and to fulfill the dreams and visions we have for our lives in the best way possible. We are constantly bombarded with an overload of new information on how to do this life thing, but it can get quite overwhelming and confusing and leave most of us stuck in our comfort zones, which only allow us to never fulfill our life’s mission. As Christians, it can even get trickier to live well in a world that only influences us on a daily basis to live recklessly and outside of God’s will for us. In this article we explore the practical ways to live well and what God says about us living well.
How to Live Well
In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 says
“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more, for you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”
From this passage, we find out that there are specific instructions from the Lord that we have received in order to live a pleasing life unto God. Now we know that the first important instruction is give your life to Jesus and be born again by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. What that means is that your life will now belong to Jesus (Colossians 3:3). What that means is that you will no longer live in the bondage of sin and that you will live a life submitted to the will of God.
Living submitted to God can look different for everyone, due to the fact that we ought to have an individual relationship with God and out of that relationship, you will know God’s specific purpose and instruction for your life. In this article, however, we are talking about God’s will for us as a collective, as Believers and how God wants us to live as His children who represent Him here on earth.
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:3 this is what God’s will be for our lives.
1As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
And according to 1 Peter 4:1-11, this is what the Bible says about living a life for God,
1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
In both passages in the Bible, we see that the Bible makes a clear distinction on what is Holy and pure and what is impure in God’s sight, so as people who live consecrated to the Word of God, our lives must reflect the relationship we have with Jesus and live a life worthy of His Holy Name. There must be a clear separation in how we as the children of God do things vs how the rest of the world does things. This is because, we are led by the Holy Spirit and our lives must reflect the Love of God and give Him all the honor and all the praise, because we are called to be the Salt and Light in the world (Matthew 5:13). We have to move differently because our common cause is to win lost souls back to the Kingdom of God and our lives will be what reflects that.
How are you going to do this
If this resonates with you and you fully want to live and represent Jesus wherever you go, but you do not really know how to go about living this truth, you have come to the right place. One important factor to remember is that you are serving a living God and that means this can never be a religion. How you move and live authentically for God is going to come from a personal relationship with God, because you will be led by the Holy Spirit (God in You) who will lead and guide your steps as you go. This will require you to walk with the Holy Spirit daily and realize the importance of inviting Him in your daily activities, so he can lead and guide you.
What will your daily life represent?
Your day-to-day life will have to represent the trajectory of your life, whether you are living it well or not. Now this is not a call for perfection, this just means you are going to need the power of God to reign in every aspect of your life. You are going to need God to work on you and teach you to yield and surrender to His commands and voice. This will require you to learn to crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and edify your Spirit man every single day of your life.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 the Bible says,
“Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more. and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
And 1 Peter 4:8-11 says,
“The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
We see that Love is what represents a life lived well and pleasing to the Lord, that is because a life that represents God should reflect the perfect love of God for God is Love and love covers over a multitude of sins according to 1 Peter 4:8. Living a life pleasing to God will require daily practice that will ultimately win the respect of those around you and essentially the way you decide your life, will be the loudest testimony of Jesus and what He has done for you to those in the world of darkness. That doesn’t mean we live our lives based on the opinions of others, but rather that we recognize that as Believers and Christ-followers, we are called to be influencers and representatives of Heaven, and those watching how we live our lives will come to the knowledge of Christ Jesus and follow him.
How we talk, live and move should illuminate our separation from the world and consecration to God, for 1 Peter 1:13-22 says,
“13Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17Since you call on a father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
In addition, it is important to also take care of our bodies, for it is the temple of God, where the Holy Spirit dwells and we need to realize that God cares about our overall health as much as we should, so in addition to taking good care of our Spirit man, we need to take care of our bodies daily for it is our vehicle on this earth to operate and be effective in the things God wants us to do.
This will include these daily practices:
Being disciplined and self-controlled
Praying every day, throughout the day
Reading and equipping yourself with the Word of God.
Praying in the Spirit
Obedience
Kindness
Eating well balanced meals
Exercising daily (excluding yoga)
Drinking plenty of water
Spending time with loved ones
Final Thoughts
We pray that you will cultivate and hone into your relationship with God, which will help you walk righteously before Him and also allow you to be the best version of yourself, so that you can live a life that will radiate the fragrance and love of Jesus wherever you may go. We close with this blessing over your life, “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Amen.
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