Several years ago, a man died who claimed to have been born eight years after George Washington died. Thomas Jefferson was president when Russian Shirali Muslimov came into the world; the fifteen-million-dollar 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. Without question, Muslimov died earth's oldest man in modern times.
Interestingly enough, the only thing outstanding about Muslimov's life was its length. While he gained much fame for his longevity, others who have lived only a fraction as long have helped humanity much more. Clearly, it is not so important how long one lives as how one lives. Man's life at its longest is still like fading flowers and passing shadows, and that is why Paul admonished believers to emphasize the really important thing. He asked us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to our God.
In our strife-torn and tension-filled age, God is still calling men to live right. There is an urgent need for men who love Christ and are sold out for the Gospel. It really does not matter how long they live since they are building for eternity. Those who live well live forever.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
Romans 12:1 NLT
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