Recently, a popular local radio personality unexpectedly died of a heart attack at the age of 54. Rick Beckett, who abused alcohol for most of his adult life before quitting for good in 2002, regularly warned his listeners of the dangers of excessive drinking to himself and others.
I personally don’t know where he stood with God, but in his last blog entry, posted only a few days before his untimely death, he cited the following quote (by Leo Rosten):
“The purpose of life is to matter, to be productive, to have it make a difference that you lived at all—using the talents that God has given you for the betterment of others.”
Intentional or not, the quote he posted draws from a biblical worldview. It’s right in line with the desires Paul expressed in a prayer at the end of one his New Testament writings, “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).
We all have a long ways to go, and sometimes what is best for others is not what it first appears to be, but in our better moments we know there truly is no better way to live.
Sean on March 26, 2009 at 10:40 am
Since God is love, if we’re following Him we’re going to reflect it by speaking the truth in love. This doesn’t always mean saying what is easy to say, but what is best—and most loving—to say. I want to grow in my ability to speak truth to people because of my great love for them, and I want to receive others’ loving criticism and instruction with a Christlike attitude. That’s how we grow and mature a believer in Jesus.
mike wittmer on March 26, 2009 at 2:16 pm
These are good words, Jeff. I enjoyed listening to Rick when I caught his show and will miss him. I wonder if Rosten’s quote might be even more Christian if it emphasized grace. Something like, “the purpose of life is to bask in the unmerited grace of God, which then inspires us to live lives that matter out of gratitude for his undeserved love.” On the other hand, we can’t expect to say everything that needs to be said all the time, so maybe it’s okay just as it is. Thanks for reminding me to make my life count today!