My dog Archie is three years old. Even though he is still in the prime of life, I always feel sentimental on his birthdays. Each birthday of his is a reminder that time is fleeting. I know I only have so many years with him, and his birthdays remind me to make the most of every day I have with him. For dog lovers, you understand this sentiment. Whether you are a dog lover or not, there are certain markers in time that remind you how quickly time passes and how precious each moment that we have on earth is. Because time is speeding by with each passing moment, we must manage our time and the gifts God gives us each and every day well.
James reminds us how short life is in James 4. He writes in this passage of Scripture, “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (verses 13-14). According to James in this passage of Scripture, even our plans are not concrete. We are ultimately not in control of our lives and cannot be sure what tomorrow will bring. Life is short. It’s like the morning fog that quickly passes away. None of us knows how much time we have here on earth. All we are guaranteed is this moment. As a result, we must make the most of every moment we have, because we have no time to waste. We must manage our lives, gifts, possessions, and abilities carefully, knowing that our time is short. We have to make the most of our time and leverage every moment to build God’s eternal kingdom.
My friend, our time here on earth is short. We have today, and we must make the most of it. Commit today to make the most of each second you are given. Steward every single gift that God has given you well, committing to know Christ and make Him known to everyone around you, and being fully devoted to Christ.
There are many ways we can make the most of our short time on earth so that we have no regrets. One way we can make the most of our time is by worshiping God with other believers. Make plans to attend one of our weekend services, where you will worship and be encouraged as you seek to live your life to honor God. Bring a friend with you. We can’t wait to see you there!
“God, my entire life is in Your hands. I surrender…”
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Warning against Judging Others
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Warning about Self-Confidence
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
