I’m fascinated by “Guinness Book of World Records type stuff.” Not the cheesy ones—like longest fingernails or who can lie on a bed of nails with the most weight on them. No, I’m talking about, tallest human being on record or shortest—heaviest , longest living—things like that.
Several years ago, a man died who claimed to have been born eight years after president George Washington died! Thomas Jefferson was president when this guy (Russian Shirali Muslimov) came into the world. The $15 million Louisiana Purchase was completed just two years before; Aaron Burr gunned down Alexander Hamilton just one year before; and Johnny Appleseed was still planting trees across our land! That’s old!! Without question, this guy died “earth’s oldest human being in modern times.” For that he deserves at least a short golf clap.
Sadly enough though, the only thing that stood out in this guys life was how long he lived, others who have lived only a fraction as long have contributed far more to society and have accomplishments tenfold what this guy
In the book of Ecclesiastes (Southbrook’s current preaching series entitled, “Game of Thrones”) Solomon (The one the Bible refers to as, “The wisest man ever”) talks a lot about life being brief. He compares life to a vapor, withering grass and the season of a flower). But we should never think in reading over and over about the brevity of life, that the goal was to try and extend it somehow. No, the goal is trying to live it rightly. Or, as Eugene Peterson once said—“to live our lives faithfully is like a long obedience in the same direction.” The goal—and I know I’ve said this over and over again—however, the beatings will continue until we get it—the goal is to live according to the last thing he said in the book (chapter 12 verse 13). Rather than just trying to extend the time our heart beats, our muscles work, and our face looks young—we should learn early and with much passion to “fear God and keep his commandments.”
“In our strife-torn and tension filled age, God is still calling men to live right. There is an urgent need for sons and daughters of the living God—who claim to love Jesus with all their hearts—to truly revere Him and take seriously His commands (i.e. more than just lip service). It really does not matter who long we live if what we’re really after is building for eternity. Those who live well live forever.