In recent days, I’ve again been struck by how fleeting time is and how incumbent upon us it is to make the most of it. I’ve written previously on this topic (see “Time Keeps on Slipping”, “Time is Running Out”, and “Time is Short”) but am compelled to do so again because when I look at my life and the lives of other believers around me, I am convinced we still don’t get it. We are here for only a little while. In consideration of eternity, our lives don’t even register as a blip on the radar.
James tells us our life is like smoke, appearing for a moment and then quickly vanishing (James 4:14) Most of us, especially when we are younger, think little of death and feel somewhat invincible. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our outlook on time matters when we are endeavoring to live as disciples of Jesus.
These days, you cannot go on the internet or listen to the radio without coming across some religious personality stating we are certainly living in the end times. We may indeed be, I don’t know. The world certainly seems to be falling apart, and there are wars with rumors of more coming. But this is not the first time in my life modern would-be prophets have declared the end of the world to be imminent. What I know is Jesus told us no one knows the day of His coming (Matthew 24:3-51). Whether we are living in the last days should be irrelevant to followers of Christ. We should live every day as if it is our last. We should greet each morning with the expectation of our Lord’s return.
Paul urges us to make the most of our time (Ephesians 5:15-16). He understood the importance of living each day as if it were our last. Indeed, he considered himself already dead (Galatians 2:19-20). Paul knew this life held nothing more for him. There was only Christ, and that was the reason he lived each day. Oh, if we would only adopt that mindset for ourselves.
Friends, I don’t know how much time we have left. I only know the way we approach life should be as if we will see Jesus today. Nothing we do in this life matters except what we do for Christ. Nothing we build, acquire, or achieve will last. When Jesus returns, everything we thought was important in life will be obliterated in an instant. There is only one thing worth your life, and that is to love, serve, and obey our Master.
Time is fleeting. The Psalmist said his days “vanish like smoke” (Psalm 102:3), and the brother of Jesus would later echo those sentiments (James 4:14). We are nothing but a vapor. Don’t be so arrogant to believe anything you do for glory or success in this world matters for anything. Only Jesus matters. Only what we do for Him will remain. Every minute counts. It counts either for building God’s Kingdom or it counts for nothing. Jesus is coming, perhaps even today. Are you living a life worthy of His glory? If He shows up today, what will He find you doing? I don’t want to be caught unawares. I want to be found serving Him and desperately working to bring glory to His name. Don’t waste your life. Time is fleeting. Make every moment count for Jesus and His glory.