Life Is Uncertain: The Wise Serve Others as Jesus Did
- Jack Selcher
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
I was praying. I imagined that people's lifespans are like water drops hitting a stream, creek, or river on their journey toward the ocean. They never know where they are.
There is no GPS or map to plot their journey to the sea. More than one hundred billion drops have already reached the ocean. They represent the deaths of all the people who have ever lived.1
Some drops fell into a mountain stream in Pennsylvania, 300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Others landed in the Zambezi River one mile from its convergence with the Indian Ocean.
Others plopped into the Columbia River 50 miles before it joined the Pacific Ocean. Some dripped into the Nile River 4,000 miles from the Mediterranean Sea.
My mother’s journey was 37 years, whereas my father’s was 102. Today might be our last day after five years of continual physical decline, a sudden cardiac arrest, or an automobile accident.
Knowing life is uncertain, how shall we then live? We can choose a self-centered existence to maximize our pleasure before the lights inevitably go out. Before we do, let us consider why Solomon gave it a one-star rating. We will see shortly that the way of faith is far more satisfying.
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV).
Similarly, he concluded that chasing after wisdom was meaningless (Ecclesiastes 2:15). He worked hard to acquire things and pronounced the pursuit empty (Ecclesiastes 2:17-26). Trying to get richer was equally unsatisfying:
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV).
After failing to squeeze purpose and significance out of all manner of self-centered living, Solomon concluded:
“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV).
If we are wise, we will serve others as Jesus did. He did everything the Father asked (John 4:34). He served others, not Himself (Mark 10:45). The Son of God lived as we should. It is the path to ocean-deep contentment.
I do not serve others as well as Jesus did, but that is my purpose. If you are trying to follow Jesus, it is your purpose, too, because Jesus wants to serve others through you. What is your takeaway? See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources
God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,671 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,636 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.
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