LIFE-CHANGING THOUGHTS
If today was your last day, what would you use it for?
Who would you talk to, and what would you say? Where would you go, and what would you do with your last few hours? Which people would you call out to? How many people would you want to remind that you love them?
How many hugs would you be giving? Would you pray?—Do you believe in prayer? Would you believe in prayer if today was it for you? What would become a believer of something bigger than yourself if today was it, or would today just be another day?
If today was your last day, would you change anything from yesterday? Would you make today a day for others to remember? Would you make it about you, or about others and their lives?
ETERNITY IS WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS
It’s very, very easy to think about tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that… as though they’re set in stone. But it’s hard to consider that we may actually not live to see those days. Our souls, whether we believe in it or not, are created for eternity. And we have eternity written on our hearts by God (Ecclesiastes 3:11). When we live today like tomorrow is promised for us, we just don’t live the same way during our here and now. Our efforts, our heart posture, our words, thoughts and choices, they’re all impacted. We push things off and don’t give our all in all. We don’t live like today is our last chance. Instead we live as though anything we would have done today, we’ll just “get to it another time.” But what if we don’t get another chance? Truth is, any one of us could find out today was our last day in a matter of moments, and then it’s too late. It happens to people every single day.
Life is very, very short. We think somewhere around 80 years is a long time because human suffering takes its toll. Life can feel long sometimes when we suffer through grief, loss, mourning, and physical ailments. But compare somewhere around 80 years, to eternity… we cannot comprehend eternity. And yet, eternity is coming.
LET’S NOT LIVE FOR THE WORLD
What we believe in and in whom or what we place our eternal faith, that is what directs us towards which eternity we face. To believe in eternity is to live a life that matters not for here and now, but for that which matters in eternity. To live for the kingdom of God is to choose to live in a way that blesses and glorifies God in eternity. To live for the world, however, is to dedicate ourselves to all that perishes. There is no hope on this planet. Evil lurks here. The devil prowls around looking to pounce like a lion (1 Peter 5:8-10). Our only hope is faith in Jesus as Lord over our whole lives.
FEAR OF THE LORD
In a world with war, hate, corruption, and deception, where are we placing our faith? In whom do we fear? Do we fear death and the devil, or do we fall in awe and reverence of the Lord, which is the fear of God? To be terrified of being apart from God for eternity is to fear the Lord. Furthermore, to fear being apart from the Lord is to begin to understand our desire to be intimate with God in relationship through faith in Jesus (Deuteronomy 10:12). That leads to a different lifestyle, and a different mentality altogether.
LIVING WITH INTENTION AND LOVE
To love the world is to live like tomorrow is going to happen, and to stop living for today. We love less, we give less, we try less. But to live for Jesus, to live in faith of His goodness, that translates into living like we could die today. That isn’t to say we live in fear, but it means we live with the intention of placing our efforts into showing love to others, as God commands us to do. We love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and we love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37). But if we love the world, or if we rely on tomorrow, we don’t love in the same manner. And that is what the devil wants.
THE CHRISTIAN WALK
God commands that we love. It’s not an option to live a life without love if we love God. God IS love (1 John 4:7-21). When we love God, then we don’t expect tomorrow to arrive. We live like today is it. Whatever plans we can’t achieve today, we achieve the ones we can. We place intention, focus, and love into accomplishing those which God gives us and live in the thanksgiving of being able to do the work God has given us, because we love God and His plan for us.
That is what living for today and today alone looks like. That’s what it means. That’s the Christian walk.
BELIEF DOESN’T MAKE GOD REAL
How we believe and live determines our eternal destination. Remember, we don’t have to believe in something for it to be real. Belief in God doesn’t make Him real. Being humbled by God into faith helps us to see that the evidence for God is literally all around us. We just need the eyes to see, and the ears to hear (Matthew 13:9-16). Will we live like tomorrow is a forever promise, or will we live as though tomorrow may never arrive? Think about what that means, contemplate it, dig deep. Time is short.
A PRAYER FOR US ALL
God loves you. I pray each of us strongly considers what it means to still be on a planet where, despite the wars and the chaos, there is still the hand of God. Love God for His goodness, live for Him, and bless others from that love. This world is soon to pass away, but God’s Word never will. May we all see this, hear this, and embrace it. I pray this is in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus. Amen!
Photo by mohsen ameri on Unsplash
