Life is shorter than we think. Few of us ever think of tomorrow as being our last day on earth, much less of our next breath as being our last. No matter who we are, how well we take care of ourselves, or how much security we place around us, the end will always come sooner than we expect. When our time comes, there will be the inevitable regrets of things undone, words left unsaid, and opportunities never seized.
There are not enough years in our lifespan to do all we desire to do. Instead of viewing these facts through a morbid or depressing lens, we should instead use this knowledge to understand the urgency of our lives and prioritize our activities in a manner that reflects that urgency.
God created us to glorify Himself and to live in fellowship with Him. These should be the focus of our lives. Every morning we should focus on how we can glorify our Savior and King. It is the purpose of life. Too often we get things turned around and spend our days living for ourselves. If we live only for ourselves, life will indeed be short. This life will be all we have, and when we die, our time will be up. But if we live a life committed to Jesus as our Lord, our life will extend beyond our own mortality. We’re running out of time on earth, but eternity knows no end.
I’ve written about this topic often because it is one with which I and a lot of the Western world struggle. Our cultures encourages self-fulfillment and self-pleasure. Everything is about us, and it is all too easy to become sucked into that lifestyle. When everyone around you is living for themselves and acquiring the things and experiences you want to have, you fall into line and begin pursuing those things. Soon, you will forget your Savior, and it becomes difficult to remember the purpose of life.
We don’t have to live like everyone else. God has called us to be different and to live a life honoring Him. We don’t have to accept the status quo and live like everyone else. If you live like everyone else, you will die with the same regrets of everyone else. Why would you want to do that? If you change the reason you live, you can change the way the story ends.
Since disciples of Jesus are running out of time here on earth, it should encourage us to pursue God with diligence and intention. Each of us will give an account to God Himself of what we have done with the time He gave to us (Matthew 25:14-30). If you are waiting until tomorrow to make a change, that may be too late. All we have is this moment right here, and right now. We either live for Jesus now or risk losing the opportunity forever. We’re running out of time. Don’t waste another second.