If you could know the exact date of your death, would you want to?
A little morbid, I know, but think about it! COVID-19 should have sobered all of us to our mortality. What would change about your life if you had that kind of information?
You might think ignorance is bliss and prefer not to have countdown hanging over your head. Or you might think it would help maximize the time you have left.
Interestingly, in the Psalms, both Moses and David tell us which they would choose.
David says,
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.”
Psalm 39:4-5
And Moses echoes,
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
David and Moses ask God to show them how much time they have left because they know it will give them wisdom in how to live. Their asking for perspective!
The reality is, whether you know the exact time or not, all of us do have a ticking countdown.
Hint: It’s not as long as you think. A “handbreath” was the shortest possible form of measurement they had.
James wants us to keep this perspective about our days,
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James 4:13-17
The limited time we have in life should give us greater humility. We don’t arrogantly assume we can focus on things that matter later.
There are so many college students who have told me they want to party now and focus on their faith later. It’s easy to see the foolishness in that, but I can say the same type of thing in other areas of my life:
- “I’ll read the Bible to my kids later”
- “I’ll have that important conversation tomorrow”
- “I’ll plan that date with my wife next week”
- “I’ll get back on track with the Bible reading plan soon”
We need a sense of urgency and purpose to spend our time on things that matter.
We have all been cooped up in our homes lately counting down the days until this quarantine is over. It’s tempting to sleep in late, slip on healthy habits, and veg out on Netflix & video games.
It’s amazing how fast an hour can go by on social media or youtube.
Even though it might feel like it, the clock doesn’t tick slower under quarantine. This time counts! The habits you are forming are either building spiritual fat or spiritual muscle.
Ephesians 5:15-16 is the attitude we must work towards building.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15-16
We must be very careful how we live. The habits you form now and the way you choose to spend your time matters. It’s significant. It impacts eternity.
As a result you have to be wise. Ask yourself that question: “In light of my relationship with Christ for eternity, is the way I spend my time wise?” What would be the wise thing to do TODAY?
When you start asking yourself that question you will learn to make the most of every opportunity. You will learn to evaluate the time God has given you and maximize it!
None of us know how much time we have left, in this quarantine or in life. We do know God is in the business of taking a mist and using it to impact eternity!
God is in the business of taking a mist and using it to impact eternity!
Put it into Practice:
Will you surrender your days to Christ and make the most of them?
One of the most significant portions of my day I have tried to manage is my morning. I have noticed that when I wake up I can easily waste 30 minutes scrolling through my phone to check email or Twitter. Whether I see anything important or not it distracts me.
Several of the guys I disciple struggle with the same thing and we’ve talked about the importance of managing our mornings.
We’ve come up with a simple little formula and reminder to help us.
- Word before weights
- Faith before phone
- Bible before breakfast
We wanted to prioritize spending intentional time with the Lord before working out, getting on our phone or eating breakfast.
Is one of those relevant for you? Try adopting that mantra for a week and see how it goes.
You might not want to know the exact day of your death, but when you live like there’s no tomorrow you start living for what lasts!
When you live like there’s no tomorrow you start living for what lasts!
Are you living with the right perspective in the way you are using your time?
What changes do you need to make to be wise and maximize the rest of this quarantine?