I came across a book called “4,000 Weeks” and read a brief sample of the introduction. The premise of the book is that the average human has 4,000 weeks of life from birth to death. While I have not read the book, it was obvious the content would be about maximizing that time and understanding how short a time 4,000 weeks is in the grand scheme of things. It was also clear that the book was coming from an evolutionary starting point, which meant it was flawed from the outset, so it isn’t something I would recommend.
But the idea stuck with me. Given health and family history – and knowing only God knows and controls how long I will live – at 58 years old, I figure I have somewhere between 1,040 and 2,080 weeks left. That’s how much time I have remaining to serve the Lord in this body. (Psalm 139:16; James 4:14–15)
My first thought was, a thousand weeks is not a lot of time. As I’ve aged, I’ve witnessed how time seems to pass more quickly each year. When I was younger, days would drag, and now I wish they would sometimes. But time marches on faster and faster, gaining speed like a snowball rolling down a hill. The momentum is unstoppable, and at times it’s all I can do to keep my balance. A thousand weeks will be gone in the blink of an eye. (Psalm 90:10; 1 Peter 1:24-25)
The second thought I had was Paul writing how we must make the most of our time because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16) I felt an immediate urgency to spend these next 1,000 weeks with renewed intentionality. We must recognize that time is running out for us to live for our Savior and Lord, our King Jesus. (Romans 13:11)
If we all get around 4,000 weeks to live, how many of those weeks have we already wasted? We lost that time, and there’s no getting it back. We ignored the opportunities to tell someone about Jesus, and now they may never hear the gospel. (Romans 10:14–15) That is ours to own. If such thoughts don’t break your heart, I’m not sure what you think the Christian life is supposed to be. We have a mission, and a large part of that mission is to not waste time on the frivolities of this world and to always be sharing the gospel and bringing the light and hope of Jesus into dark and hopeless places. (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 1:8)
What are you going to do with the remaining days of your 4,000 weeks? Take a best guess at how many years you have left and multiply by 52. That number is how many weeks you have to serve the Lord. For most of us, the number is going to be far less than we calculate. (Hebrews 9:27-28) This is it, friends. No do-overs, no going back, and no second chances. (Luke 12:20)
We all have only a few weeks left. Will you squander them continuing to live as you are now? Or will you once and for all determine to live each day for Christ rather than yourself? (Galatians 2:19-20) Are you making the most of your time? Decide today how you will live the rest of your life. Don’t waste it on things that will never last, but invest it in the eternal glory of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 6:19–20; Colossians 3:1–2) Do it now, before your little time runs out. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2; James 4:14)