time well spent

Mar

30

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (v.7).

Read Psalm 116:12-14 to see the context in which we should offer our lives as a living sacrifice.

Is your to-do list made up of things you want to accomplish or things the Lord has called you to do? How can we discern the difference?

Her name is Mary Jane. Having married a steelworker, she’s seen the boom and death of a Pennsylvania steel town where they happily raised their children. When the town no longer held any promise for them, they moved to Florida to enjoy their latter years. Today, though, she misses her husband even though he’s been gone a while (she’s uncertain of exactly how long). As she sits gracefully in her wingback chair, Mary Jane understands why she now lives in an assisted living center. It’s because her memory has started to fail her.

Life is incredibly fragile. The apostle Paul reminds us of the great contrast that exists between the everlasting, transforming power of the gospel and our frail, finite humanity. Trials will come, with some seeming as if they will last forever while others appear merely as a blip on the radar of life. But this truth remains: We have but one life to expend for Jesus before we die (Job 14:5; James 4:14).

In the busyness of life, our priorities can seem to be so appropriate and necessary. So much so, with our to-do lists close to our eyes, we lose perspective—unable to see anything beyond the blurry ink on the page, much less the white of the paper in our hand.

For the believer, though, living a full life goes far beyond any “bucket list” of new hobbies or dream vacations. Knowing we were made for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 2 Corinthians 4:18) should shape our present days so that our lives are not only transformed (2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Romans 12:2), but transformational (Romans 12:11-15).

Our purpose is not to live successful, happy lives. We need “to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Then our lives can truly be a means for others to learn about Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:13-15).

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Samuel 20:1-42