A Life Well Lived: Let's Run In Such A Way That We Get The Prize At The End

SUMMARY: The Man with the Golden Helmet by Rembrandt is a painting of an old soldier who has lived well and retained his strength. Similarly, the apostle Paul was a leader who finished his ministry with honor by running the race with discipline and continually examining himself. To live a victorious life, we must keep short accounts with God, be honest and transparent, practice preventive humility, show mercy towards others, and depend on God's power. These principles will keep us spiritually vigorous and lead us to victory in our Christian walk.

" The Man with the Golden Helmet " is one of the most famous and loved paintings by Rembrandt. From a very young age, I have admired this masterpiece of the extraordinary Dutch painter. This painting shows us an old soldier, with a noble and melancholic face, dressed in his military uniform, with a beautiful golden helmet. In the painting, the old military man looks steadily at an indefinite point, pensive, with a melancholic expression in his eyes. Despite the years, the face still reflects the firmness and manliness of youth; perhaps also the soft sadness that comes from having seen and lived too much. The old soldier's jaw and mouth, the tilt of his head, project vigor and courage. Old age does not seem to have reduced the strength and virility of youth at all.

It is evident that this man has lived well. It has retained its strength. He has not wasted his manhood or vitality on destructive pleasures or dishonest acts. Evidently, the soldiers he led in the war were blessed to be covered by the leadership of an exceptional man, who always cared for their well-being, and who never put his life at risk unnecessarily. For this man, the prize of a life well lived turns out to be, precisely, an old age full of vitality and inner peace.