How To Live Longer

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. —Philippians 1:21

Yesterday we looked at the difference between the purpose in life for an unsaved man versus the purpose in life for a Christian.

Here is a added “bonus” for having a purpose worth living for—LONGEVITY! That’s right! Having a sense of purpose can add years to your life. That’s the conclusion of a long-term study done that tracked the physical and mental health of more than 6,100 Americans aged 20 to 75. At the outset, participants’ sense of purpose was assessed according to their response to statements such as: “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.”  They also answered questions about their emotional state and the quality of their relationships.  Over the 14-year study period, 569 participants (roughly 9% of the group) died, and those subjects had all scored lower than their peers when it came to purposefulness.  The findings held even after controlling for factors such as positive outlook, suggesting that purpose itself drives longevity. “Finding a direction for life, and setting overarching goals for what you want to achieve can help you actually live longer,” Carleton University psychology professor Patrick Hill told BBC.com. [You can read the entire article at this LINK.]

There is no greater purpose in life than living for the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul said, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

What is your purpose in living? Fill in the blank: “For me to live is _________________” (money, pleasure, self-esteem, family, career, popularity, etc.). Anything less that “Christ” is an inferior purpose in life.