“Teach us to realize the brevity of life.” Psalm 90:12 NLT
“Life is precious; a lifetime is limited.”
My thoughts today are about “an expiration date.”
Days ago, a long-time friend died. These last days, my life feels poorer without him near, yet still richer because he included me as his friend. He was 68 years young, the same age as I am, leaving me keenly aware that life is precious; a lifetime is limited. “I trust in You, O Lord . . my times are in your hands.” Psalm 31:15 NIV. That has to be good enough for me.
Many food and dairy products come with an expiration date, some of which are extended a bit with added preservatives. That date is clearly marked on the packaging. What if your life came with such a date attached? I think there would be disadvantages to that, possibly neglecting responsibilities and ignoring opportunities until later, but maybe we all would live more wisely.
I would live more wisely and purposefully, doing a lot of things differently. There are fewer things I would repeat in just the same way. Looking over my life, I wish I had foreseen how fast the years pass, and how unrepeatable most of those are. I am glad for all I learned; I am sad at all I missed.
I would prize my early years of marriage more highly, giving more attention and effort to its establishment and enjoyment, cherishing the irreplaceable “firsts” – like our courtship, engagement and wedding, first home, first child, first church, first anniversary, first move, first international travel and ministry, first cruise – things which only come along one time. Many of those things can be done again, but never again for the first time. That expiration date has come and gone.
I would devote more time and priority to our family’s earliest years. In some ways, I feel I have been too soon old and too late wise. Grandkids have taught me how I missed so much when our two kids were young. I wasted too many irreplaceable years trying to figure how to include young children into my life and world, when the only thing they wanted was to include me in theirs.
I would spend more time playing on the floor with them, sitting at the kitchen table doing homework with them, asking more about their day at suppertime, and listening more attentively to their thoughts and opinions any time – more time reading to them and less time busy. Now they are grown, and I savor every moment and occasion to talk with them, and to be with them, counting myself fortunate that they live nearby and serve alongside us in ministry today.
I would live my life more fully for God, and others. None of us know the appointed time we are given, but He does and I am comfortable with His wisdom and care. “For your life is like a morning fog – here a little while then it’s gone . . man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” James 4:14 NLT/Hebrews 9:28 NIV. Judgment – that will be the ultimate pass or fail moment.
That is the sobering reality, but a liberating truth as well; you will not live here forever, so live wisely and fully in Godly faith so that you may live with Him forever, time without end! “The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NLT.
Be careful of presuming about your life. Life is precious; a lifetime is limited. That sobering reality is not to make you fearful about life’s duration; it is to make you wise to value every moment you are given, investing your heart and self everyday in matters eternal, as well as things valuable now. “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 NLT. Amen to that!
My prayer for you today is that you spend your time wisely and well.