If you have a conversation with me for longer than a few minutes, you’ll probably notice how often I mention the brevity of life. All of the problems we face and sacrifices we need to make seem a lot smaller when we consider that this world is passing away, and that you won’t live for longer than, at the most, about 80 more years. The average age for men in the US is about 76 years, so that means that I’ve got about fifty years left, if I have average health and average luck. I think about that a lot because it brings me comfort to know that my struggle against the world of sin is already ⅓-¼ of the way over.
Having grown up in conservative churches of Christ, it’s been my observation that most of the members are middle-aged or older. That’s a major advantage to us because it means we have a lot of wise, experienced people. Since so many of our members are older, they think a lot about the end of their lives. As I mentioned earlier, I think a lot about the end of my life too because there is a lot of wisdom revealed from that perspective. For example, it’s easy to imagine an old man writing the end of Ecclesiastes:
“I have seen everything that is done under the sun. … There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. … Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart… Enjoy wife with the life whom you love...because that is your portion in life.”(Ecc 1:14; Ecc. 2:24; Ecc. 9:7, 9)
Unfortunately, we can become spiritually hung-up on the unpredictability of life, the vanity of the world as it passes away, and our own mortality. It’s a right and sound teaching to view personal suffering from the perspective that “life is short, unpredictable vanity, and I can’t change what’s going on in my life right now.” When we use that as our mantra for life, though, our ambition fades. Seemingly unreachable goals we had in our youth - books, podcasts, blogs, home Bible studies with people we know, daily prayer, daily study, etc. - get pushed to the back burner because, after all, “life is short, unpredictable vanity, and I can’t change what’s going on in my life right now.”
Why aren’t I writing in my blog?
Why aren’t I hosting my podcast?
Why aren’t I writing that book I've always wanted to write?
Why haven’t I set up a study with that person I’ve been meaning to study with?
Why aren’t I studying that topic I’ve been meaning to study about?
Why aren’t I making time to pray and study every night?
Why aren’t we taking the difficult path?
In trivializing our suffering, we’ve trivialized our calling.
(Eph. 4:1)
Let’s not focus so much on the end of our lives that we overlook the present. Don’t be fatalistic about your life. Yes, it will end soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. When you woke up this morning, you had a choice. It may not feel like it sometimes, but everything you do in your life, you chose to do. If you haven’t been choosing difficult, ambitious goals, then it’s time to start. (Matt. 10:34-39; Luke 9:57-62) There’s a lot of work to be done in this world and it isn’t going to get done unless we do it. Be the change you want to see. God gave us life today so we could serve him. Get up and get to it!
The past is history; the future is a mystery; but the present is a gift.
Well said, I have often seen Christians trivialize so much in life that isn't Christianity, work, responsibility to country, etc. Because "Christ comes first," which is certainly true, but Christ requires us to live in and be active in all areas of life. To put Christ first means to do everything He says, including our responsibilities that aren't specifically meant to build our faith like Bible study and worship.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to clarify my previous comment, we need to take care of responsibilities that aren't Bible study, prayer, worship, etc.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment. God expects us to tend to all of our God-given responsibilities - not just prayer and study. Part of that is ensuring we are choosing paths in work, politics, etc. that lead us ever closer to the Lord. It's too easy for me to "punch the clock" with everything in my life and let days go by where I don't see any tangible spiritual progress (due to lack of effort on my part), and this study motivated me to seize each moment and deliver it to God more fully than I had been before. For example, a quick and obvious example is ensuring I choose a future career path that allows me time for spiritual things, family, etc., and which won't drag me down spiritually. If I need to live a lower-means lifestyle, then that is a sacrifice I need to be willing to make, and that's really hard for me. I think about struggles with that, a lot. The love of money is the root of all evil.
ReplyDelete