Solomon said there is “a time for everything, and a season
for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a
time to die.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)
It is true that everyone has an expiration date, and equally true that we do not know when that date is. How then should we approach the remaining time God has given us?
There is a story of three demons arguing over how best to destroy Christians. The first demon said, “Let’s tell them there is no heaven. Take away their reward and they will collapse.” The second demon disagreed. He suggested, “Let’s tell them there is no hell. Take away their fear of punishment and they will go wild.” The third demon smiled and softly said, “No, my friends, there is a better way. Let’s just tell them there is no hurry.” They all laughed and knew that would be the best weapon of all.
Do you hear his voice today? Do not listen to the voice that says you have plenty of time because the odds are you do not. Listen to Jesus: “The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I have come that you may have life, abundant life.” (John 10:10) This is this difference between surviving and thriving! God is calling us to live passionately, love purposefully, and serve extravagantly for the cause of Christ.
John Piper, in his book Don’t Waste Your Life forcefully says, “God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is a life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives.”
Make your days count for Christ! Don’t waste your life. It doesn’t matter how long you live. Rick Warren says, “Life’s value is not in its duration but in its donation.” Let me give you good example.
He only lived on this earth 12,000 days. That is not very long. But His life changed the course of history. He was a man on a mission. He was single minded, focused, and goal directed. He made each of His days count by doing only what His Dad told him to do. Actually, relationship with His Dad and with others dominated His life. His days were filled with joy, and pain, and suffering but He never got off track. In fact, it was His very last day that provides us with hope. For on that day, He made us more than dust, grass, or a whisper. He gave us the opportunity to be called children of God. (John 1:12)
The question for you today is, “If today ended up being your expiration date, would you be ready to meet the forever God face to face?” (JEFFERSON WILLIAMS)