"What is your life?" There will never be a more relevant question than that. Man answers this differently than God. Some say, "Your life is your career and the legacy you create there." Others say, "You life is what you do to get what you want." You might say, "Your life is your family." For many, "Your life is your popularity with others"--how many friends you had and who they were.
None of these answers are adequate. They cannot answer the question to God's satisfaction. Sometimes, it is a matter of perspective. In the 1930s and 40s, Charlie Grimm was the manager of the Chicago Cubs. They were in the middle of a terrible losing streak and a bad year. One of Grimm's scouts phoned him with some exciting news, saying, "Charlie, I've just seen the greatest pitcher in the country. He pitched a perfect game. 27 strikeouts. No one even hit a foul ball off of him until there were two outs in the ninth. I've got him right here now. What should I do?" Grimm allegedly said, "Sign the guy who hit the foul ball. We need hitters." What is it that you desire most? If it is a home in heaven, then it is vain to strive for it by holding dear to worldliness. It is not wrong to have career, personal, family, and friend aspirations, but when we go after these as the objects of our primary concern, we've gone after a pitcher when a hitter's what we needed.
God has to tell us what our life is all about. He does that in the Bible.
Life Is A Journey. God's people are told to see life as a pilgrimage through this earth (Heb. 11:8-10). Each of us has a soul and death is not the end of the journey, so we must make adequate preparation for the eternal place we are going. When I started doing foreign mission work, more experienced travelers gave me advice that I have tried to pass along to others. I have told the other men going to Cambodia, "Travel light." This principles applies to our journey through this life. Activities like those catalogued in Galatians 5:19-21 are fleshly lusts that war against the soul, they are heavy baggage to carry. One day, you'll have to check all that baggage at the end of time.
Life Is A Very Brief Journey. The Bible tells us our days pass by rapidly (Job 7:6-10; 9:25-26; 2 Cor. 4:18). The number of days we are given is uncertain and we cannot know the number (Job 14:1-2; Psalm 144:4). Every time we turn around, we are reminded of how fast time is going. You may have children or grandchildren, but you can vividly remember when you were a child as if it was yesterday. We are sprinting toward the finish line at a rapid pace.
Life Is A One-Way Journey. We must prepare now (Titus 2:11-13) as there is no opportunity to do so after death (cf. Luke 16:26). If we die unprepared, we do not get a second chance.
Life Is A Journey The End Of Which Is Certain. Solomon wrote, "The living know that they shall die" (Ecc. 9:5). After deth is the judgment (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:12). The ants teach us a valuable lesson about preparation (Prov. 30:25). They diligently work all "summer" to prepare for the "winter." They never become slack, but continuously and tirelessly seek their goal by using their abilities. Someday, each of us is going somewhere for eternity. Some procrastinate, like Felix (Acts 24:25ff). Some sorrowfully accept a life without God, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:24). We need to work diligently because we will lose everything if we lose heaven.
Have you made proper preparation for the journey? This life is your only opportunity to do so. Someone once said, "Go out tonight and look straight up at the cosmos. All those stars, so far away! And the creator of all that looks back at you with love so close, so vast, so strong, and with such yearning for you." He loved you enough to let His only Son die for you (John 3:16). He loves you so much that the last thing He wants is for you to die lost (2 Pet. 3:9). He will not take you to heaven if you did not prepare for the journey!
None of these answers are adequate. They cannot answer the question to God's satisfaction. Sometimes, it is a matter of perspective. In the 1930s and 40s, Charlie Grimm was the manager of the Chicago Cubs. They were in the middle of a terrible losing streak and a bad year. One of Grimm's scouts phoned him with some exciting news, saying, "Charlie, I've just seen the greatest pitcher in the country. He pitched a perfect game. 27 strikeouts. No one even hit a foul ball off of him until there were two outs in the ninth. I've got him right here now. What should I do?" Grimm allegedly said, "Sign the guy who hit the foul ball. We need hitters." What is it that you desire most? If it is a home in heaven, then it is vain to strive for it by holding dear to worldliness. It is not wrong to have career, personal, family, and friend aspirations, but when we go after these as the objects of our primary concern, we've gone after a pitcher when a hitter's what we needed.
God has to tell us what our life is all about. He does that in the Bible.
Life Is A Journey. God's people are told to see life as a pilgrimage through this earth (Heb. 11:8-10). Each of us has a soul and death is not the end of the journey, so we must make adequate preparation for the eternal place we are going. When I started doing foreign mission work, more experienced travelers gave me advice that I have tried to pass along to others. I have told the other men going to Cambodia, "Travel light." This principles applies to our journey through this life. Activities like those catalogued in Galatians 5:19-21 are fleshly lusts that war against the soul, they are heavy baggage to carry. One day, you'll have to check all that baggage at the end of time.
Life Is A Very Brief Journey. The Bible tells us our days pass by rapidly (Job 7:6-10; 9:25-26; 2 Cor. 4:18). The number of days we are given is uncertain and we cannot know the number (Job 14:1-2; Psalm 144:4). Every time we turn around, we are reminded of how fast time is going. You may have children or grandchildren, but you can vividly remember when you were a child as if it was yesterday. We are sprinting toward the finish line at a rapid pace.
Life Is A One-Way Journey. We must prepare now (Titus 2:11-13) as there is no opportunity to do so after death (cf. Luke 16:26). If we die unprepared, we do not get a second chance.
Life Is A Journey The End Of Which Is Certain. Solomon wrote, "The living know that they shall die" (Ecc. 9:5). After deth is the judgment (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:12). The ants teach us a valuable lesson about preparation (Prov. 30:25). They diligently work all "summer" to prepare for the "winter." They never become slack, but continuously and tirelessly seek their goal by using their abilities. Someday, each of us is going somewhere for eternity. Some procrastinate, like Felix (Acts 24:25ff). Some sorrowfully accept a life without God, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:24). We need to work diligently because we will lose everything if we lose heaven.
Have you made proper preparation for the journey? This life is your only opportunity to do so. Someone once said, "Go out tonight and look straight up at the cosmos. All those stars, so far away! And the creator of all that looks back at you with love so close, so vast, so strong, and with such yearning for you." He loved you enough to let His only Son die for you (John 3:16). He loves you so much that the last thing He wants is for you to die lost (2 Pet. 3:9). He will not take you to heaven if you did not prepare for the journey!
-- Neal Pollard
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