Well Done

Well Done
All of us want our lives to count, to mean something. Of course, we each define that in a different way. Some people climb mountains, others build things, still others strive to leave their legacy in written words or upon painted canvases. Naturally, what we choose to do with our lives
has much to do with how we think those lives will be judged, or by whom. If we live to please the critics, be they art, literature or otherwise, their values will become our own. If we live to gain honor in the court of popular opinion than our acceptance therein will rule our actions. The list goes on and on. So the big question in life remains, “What is your purpose in life, whom do you serve?” The critics can be a fickle bunch and their elusive approval can prove a lifelong torment. The opinion of the crowd can also prove a wicked task master. The fact is that you just can’t please everyone. In the end, we must choose who we will please, who’s opinion really matters. For those who believe there is a God and a life after this one, the time usually comes in their life when they realize that God is the only one truly worth pleasing. After all, His opinion out ranks, and outlives, all others. The praise and acceptance of men can bring great joy, but it is a fleeting thing. Rather, we should strive to please and honor the one being whose opinions and existence are everlasting. I have had my very modest share of the handshakes, applause and praise of men, but even the prospect of an entire lifetime of the same pales in comparison to one thought which looms in my mind. Once all of our deeds are done, and certainly unalterable, there will come a moment when each of us will stand before the holy God of the universe and feel his all knowing gaze pierce to the very depths of our souls. At that moment the praise of men will amount to no more than a grain of sand in the dunes of eternity past. And at that critical juncture of our existence, what could mean more than to hear our Lords utter the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Now there’s a reason for living … and living well.

Well Done
Perhaps I consider far too rarely
When thinking the deeper thoughts
That life is entirely too short
And I fail to live it as I ought
I don’t spend enough time with family
Or in worship or prayer or song
And too often I let myself be swept
Along with the rest of the human throng
I overlook the needs of my neighbors
And the people who matter most
Often trading the simple pleasures
For those about which I could boast
I don’t spend enough of life barefoot
Wasting too much on what I regret
Not enough in the forest or mountains
Missing too many sunrises and sets
I want to live a life that matters
One that counts for what I believe
A life in which love and compassion
Are the measure of what I achieve
So that when I look back from glory
From beyond my last setting sun
My Lord may proclaim at the judgment
“Good and faithful servant, well done!”
By Frank Carpenter ©