I was reading
this morning in Judges, and was struck by the difference a life can make. As
leaders in Israel, there is mention of every man down through the years. For
Jephthah, that entailed all of Judges 11, and most of chapter 12. It gives
details of his leadership, both in his victories, and in his seemingly foolish
vow to the Lord. But in 12:11, we read the account of one of the leaders that
followed, Elon.
“After him, Elon the Zebulunite
led Israel ten years.
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Then Elon
died and was buried.”
Ouch. He
lived, led, died and was buried. It isn’t that his life was meaningless, or
that God ignored him. But apparently, as far as Scripture is concerned, it
would appear that his life didn’t have quite the impact that the life of
Jephthah’s did.
It wasn’t
because Jephthah sought the “fame and fortune” of leading the nation. Or that
he was exactly of royal lineage. His mother was a prostitute, and his brothers
hated him for it. He was driven from his home and despised. He only led when
they begged him to. That is hardly an auspicious beginning. But he knew that
his victory would depend wholly on God, and said so quite publicly to the
enemy kings.
So what do I
want the footnote of my life to be? The details of a life that God would say is
well lived? Or “he lived, died, and was buried”? I have a choice. I can live a
life of reliance and faith in God, not seeking my own glory or fame, but His. Or
I can just live.
I am reminded
of a book by John Piper titled “Don’t Waste Your Life”. It is a great reminder of
the brevity of life, and the responsibility that we have to choose the manner
in which we live it.
So this is a
reminder to myself:
Don’t be a footnote.
