By: Evangelist Joseph Olorunnisola

Date: October 28, 2012

The Tragedy of a Wasted Life For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own Soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the son of man will come in the glory of His Father with his angels, and then he will reward everyone according to his work. Matt. 16: 26-27 Too many people live with regrets, missed opportunities, and with dormant dreams and un-realized covenant. Wherever you may be in your spiritual journey, this message will inspire you to review your purpose in life, possibly evolve a new realistic purpose that which is meant for you by God, evolve a sharper focus and leave an eternal legacy. To live without focus on heaven is a tragedy of a wasted life. Death is more universal than life, everyone dies, but not everyone lives, majority are simply existing and not living. If you are living and not simply existing, your mindset must be totally focused on life-after: everlasting life in the glory and joy of heaven. Whether you believe it or not, your time on earth is limited. No matter how much this idea makes you squirm, its a fact. No matter how old, young, rich, or poor you are and no matter your attainment or fame, mortality remains the great equalizer. With each tick of the clock, a moment of your life is behind you. Your days are numbered, and each one that passes is gone forever. Job 14: 2-5. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away and how those moments are utilized. The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. Whatever you acquire on earth you will leave behind. 1 Tim.6:7. You cannot keep anything you acquire on earth. You are the wisest, if you give what you cannot keep to gain that which you cannot lose. Pain is inevitable but misery is optimal. We cannot avoid pain, but we can choose to avoid joy in this world and also in the world to come. God whispers to us in our pleasures that we are not yet at home. He speaks to our conscience to anchor our focus on eternity. But shouts and warns vehemently, even through mother nature, that this is the terminal generation. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. When the earthquakes of life hit, shaking our faith to the very core: When a loved one is lost, a high profile business suddenly goes into bankruptcy, a life-long marriage suddenly collapses or a terminal disease is suddenly diagnosed, then we find out what we are made of and what we have structured our lives upon. Are we living with false sense of security or we are strongly anchored. A solid foundation is the key to a buildings integrity, its structural strength from top to bottom. An unshakable foundation is also the key to building a meaningful life, a lasting marriage, a strong family, a sound profession and a successful business. The only foundation that can withstand the perils of this

world and guarantee eternal joy & peace is to anchor your life on Christ and His Word. (Matt. 7: 24-25). All that we have seen Him created and done should teach us to trust God for all that we have not seen. If we are told today that we have three months left to live, we most certainly become sober, pensive and totally withdrawn from every worldly ambition. Apostle Peters message in 1 Pet. 4:2-3 would become a reality to us while Pauls message Col. 3:1-6 would create a cardiac arrest for our souls. If you do not want to live a wasted life and end up in tragedy eternally the everlasting King of heavens and Supreme Judge of end-time demands without compromise from you: 1. That you love God with all your strength, all your might and all your passion. Your soul emanated from him and it will not experience any rest until it returns to him. Do you want your soul to return to the rest of the lord or you want it to remain forever restless in eternal hell? Worship God with all your might. Attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him. 2. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believe him totally and have absolute faith in Him. Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Never be afraid to entrust an unknown future to a Known God. He is forever faithful. 3. Keep all the commandments of God with all diligence. School is a place of learning and a test of what you have learned for corruptible Crown of vanities. Life is a test of obedience for an incorruptible Crown of glory. Obey God for this is the master key to his heart. Whosoever despises the word shall be destroyed, but he that fears the commandment shall be rewarded. Prov. 13:13. 4. Sell what you have and distribute unto the poor and you will have treasure in heaven Luke 18:22. Remember that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. It is imperative even in your lack, to remember the poor, the destitute, the homeless and those who are ravaged by famine, drought, and pestilence. The measure of life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. You must learn to give to receive and to put a smile on the face of your Creator. 5. Love others like yourself 1 Cor. 13:1- And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not his own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Do not hurt or destroy others simply to engineer your inordinate ambition or because you want to look good. They may forget what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. 6. Forgive others their sins so that your own sins may also be wiped off by the heavens. Matt. 18:21-35 So also shall my heavenly Father refuse to forgive you your sins if you from your heart do not forgive everyone who has transgressed against you. He who cannot forgive others destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass. 7. Thanksgiving. Luke 17. Ten lepers were healed only one returned to offer thanks and appreciation to Christ and was consequently blessed by the Lord. The Lord expects you to show him gratitude always for all his goodness towards you and your household. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion into clarity, a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. A heart of ingratitude shrink and become colder; it blocks the flow of Gods wisdom and blessing always grumbling and complaining. 8. Prayer: Prayerlessness is a sin before the Lord. A prayer-less life is blind to his source of life and dead to his ultimate destination. At the end of his pilgrimage in this world, his voice will be strange and rejected at the gate of heaven, but readily welcomed into hell. Why not start to live your life from today as if your months are already numbered. Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.