Getting older stirs my thoughts toward the passing of time. Older folks often told me that the older you get, the faster time moves. It seems true. Time is the great equalizer. Everyone has the same number of hours in a day to spend in whatever way they choose. No one is able to create more time. No one has found a way to expand time. Jesus once commented, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (Luke 12:25, NIV). Our greatest asset is time, and it is continually passing. How should a Christian approach time?
Make the most of the time you have. The Bible says, “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, NIV). Christians are to redeem the time – make the most of the time they have to do good in the midst of evil days. Savor every moment. Look for opportunities to bless others, speak truth, and nourish souls. Invest time in setting a good example, worshiping the Lord, and feeding on the Scriptures. Take time to love your family and speak to old friends. Make the most of this day – you can never live it again.
Thank God for the time you have. The Psalmist said, “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24, NKJV). Every day is a gift from God. Life itself is a gift from God. Each breath you take is from the hand of God (Daniel 5:23). King Hezekiah was granted a longer life after he humbly prayed (II Kings 20), but no one is promised tomorrow. Be thankful for this day. Live it with joy. Choose gladness!
Praise God for the promise of eternity. The Bible declares, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NKJV). The passing of time and certainty of death would create despair if it were not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death without the promise of eternal life would leave us hopeless. Paul wrote, “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (I Corinthians 15:19, NLT). The follower of Christ should make the most of the here and now to serve the Lord, knowing full well we will have eternity in the hereafter!
My father requested that the entirety of I Corinthians 15 be read at his funeral. It is a description of how the mortal life has been swallowed up by immortality because of Jesus. The chapter ends, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:55-56, NKJV).