Don't waste a day of your life

James 4:13-15 (Message)

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

I don’t wish to depress you, but did you know that the Bible describes your life on earth as the equivalent of a “wisp of fog”?  Elsewhere the Bible describes your life on earth “like water spilled on the ground” (II Samuel 14:14), “like a shadow” (I Chronicles 29:15), “like a swooping eagle” (Job 9:26), “a wind that passes….” (Psalm 78:39), “like a sigh” (Psalm 90:9), “like grass…..when the wind has passed over it, it is no more” (Psalm 10:15-16), and “like a mere breath” (Psalm 39:5, Psalm 144:4).  The older you are, the more perspective you have as you look back on your life and how quickly it has passed by and you more easily agree with the truth of these descriptions.  To balance the seriousness of this writing with some humor, did you know that life is like a roll of toilet paper?  Yes, the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.

Humans freely think about others dying, but don’t like to think about your own dying.  One moment you want to believe that you will never die, then another moment you realize that you could die in moment.  Certainly you’ve known people, perhaps your greatest loved ones, who suddenly lost their lives so you have a sense of the tenuousness of life.  You also know that life is short, yes too short; to do everything you’d like to do.  Yet, you also make assumptions about doing things years from now without thinking that life could end at any moment.

It is very important that you remind yourself daily of the brevity of life and not to assume that you will be here tomorrow.  Rick Warren wrote in Purpose Driven Life (p. 40) that rather than using the old phrase “today is the first day of the rest of my life”; live today as if it is the last day of your life.  Appreciate each day; take advantage of each day, especially to say things that need to be said to loved ones and friends and do things that have eternal value as much as possible.  Never assume that tomorrow will come and don’t procrastinate doing what you can do today.  Paul said that “today is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2) knowing that tomorrow for many people might never come.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed for you, tomorrow is only for certain for God.  Live your today as the psalmist wrote in 90:12, “teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom”.  Indeed, I believe that one reason life is so short is to give you a greater sense of urgency to acquire wisdom through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Realizing the brevity of life also helps you to appreciate your blessings more, to love your loved ones more, and to be more aware of the reality of facing the Lord at Judgment Day.

You’ve probably heard the phrase from Ecclesiastes 1:2 “vanity of vanities, all is vanity”.  The Hebrew word used for “vanity” or “vanities” means “vapor” or “breath”.  Life is vanity, a mere breath.  The context of these descriptions about life being like a breath or full of vanity is that without God, life is meaningless.  I like what A. Powell Davies is quoted as saying, “Life is just a chance to grow a soul”.  Compared to eternity, life is certainly like a mere breath, a vapor (read January 9 and December 29 mediations where eternity is defined.

One of the most popular movies of all time was “Titanic”.  You likely saw it.  Do you remember what Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack Dawson, said?  “I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.”  His character died soon after making that statement. 

Don’t waste the days of your life.  Make each day count.  Are you living your life foolishly by assuming that there’s always tomorrow, or are you living your life wisely, with the Lord at your side, not taking for granted that there will be tomorrow?  Be assured that you are saved in Christ, tell your loved ones how much you love them, and live your life today as if it truly were the last day of your life on earth.