ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI ME 23, 2026

NEHEMAIA 12-13; MATIU 6:31-33

A life well lived is a life lived for the glory and the kingdom of God. Will that be your legacy?

Ko e mo’ui ‘oku fai ki ai ‘a e lauu, ko e tokotaha ‘oku mo’ui ki he langilangi mo e pule’anga ‘o e ‘Otua. Ko e me’a eni ‘e manatu’i ai koe?

My new acquaintance was very successful according to the world's standards. He was admired. He had wealth and acclaim. He had power and position. From a distance it appeared he had done everything right. But he had lived for himself. He was obsessed with the accoutrements of success. He was preoccupied with image and control. He made sure that no matter the occasion or endeavor, he was in the center and in charge. But in his selfishness he lost his way. He lost all that he had worked for, and eventually he even abandoned his faith. He had gotten it all wrong. Life wasn't designed to be about us. We were created to live for something vastly bigger than us. My friend claimed to be a believer, but functionally God wasn't his focus. The only glory he lived for was his own, and the only kingdom he sought to build was his kingdom of one. What looked like success was actually massive personal, moral, relational, and spiritual failure.

What, right now, are you living for? What gives you your highest joy and has the power to produce your deepest sadness? How do you define personal success? What gets you up in the morning and motivates you throughout the day? What is the grand vision behind the choices and decisions you make? Do God's glory, purpose, and kingdom shape the way you live, work, relate to others, and invest your time, energy, and resources? Is your life an expression of the two Great Commandments? What really do you live for?

Nehemiah's final prayer reflects the zeal he had for the Lord throughout his life: "I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good" (Neh. 13:30-31).

Nehemiah had dedicated his life to one central thing: the worship of God. God's children had abandoned this very thing, and that abandonment had led to their demise. They had pursued the gods of the surrounding nations, to their shame and destruction. But, after disciplining them, God, in mercy, had restored them to their home, where they rebuilt the temple. Nehemiah had focused on removing all the foreign spiritual influences, reestablishing the priesthood, and providing everything needed for the worship of God to continue. Nehemiah's labor of love had been not just for his people but, more importantly, for his Lord. And he had one final request: that God would remember.

At the end of your life will you ask God to remember all that you have done in his name, or will you hope he forgets the life you have lived? A life well lived is a life lived for the glory and kingdom of God. Is that what you're living for?