This weekend we watched "Left Behind" at our church. It was a good movie, I never read the books so in all fairness I cannot really give it a worthy review. It did seem like there was probably a lot of stuff left out. It was very intense and it really got me thinking. While I am not about to get into end times theology with you, there is one thing I do know; we should live each day like it is our last. Whether the Lord comes or we die in a freak accident we do not know what the future holds. I want to live my life with no regrets. I want to take every opportunity to share the good news with someone, because that may be their last chance to hear it. I want to take every opportunity I have with my children and my husband to treat them with love and speak grace into their lives, because each moment with them may be my last.
Matthew 24:42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Now, I do not believe that Jesus was asking us to live in constant fear and panic, or worry our lives away.
Matthew 6:25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
No, worry and fear are not what God intended for our lives. I am suggesting that we stop taking for granted the precious moments that we have been given. Stop putting off God's calling on our lives and be good stewards of our time, energy, and resources. Focus on things that will last for eternity. We were created to be eternal beings. This life on earth is just a fleeting moment compared to eternity. Just a few verses up in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to store up our treasures in Heaven.
Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
The world says, " live like there is no tomorrow," meaning, live as if there are no consequences- do what feels good, have fun. The Lord's version is much different. Live each moment with joy, taking advantage of each moment you have been given, but in the light of what those moments will mean for eternity. Where are you storing up your treasures? Is your life focused on what you can accomplish and accumulate in this life, or what you can store up for eternity? What is eternal? People, salvation, the Kingdom of God. You will never meet a person who at the end of life regrets that they spent to much time focusing on these things. Everything else is fleeting.
The song Good to Be Alive by Jason Gray says it so well:
I wanna live like there's no tomorrow
Love like I'm on borrowed time
It's good to be, it's good to be alive
I won't take it for granted
I won't waste another second
All I want is to give you
A life well lived, to say "thank you"
Matthew 24:42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Now, I do not believe that Jesus was asking us to live in constant fear and panic, or worry our lives away.
Matthew 6:25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
No, worry and fear are not what God intended for our lives. I am suggesting that we stop taking for granted the precious moments that we have been given. Stop putting off God's calling on our lives and be good stewards of our time, energy, and resources. Focus on things that will last for eternity. We were created to be eternal beings. This life on earth is just a fleeting moment compared to eternity. Just a few verses up in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to store up our treasures in Heaven.
Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
The world says, " live like there is no tomorrow," meaning, live as if there are no consequences- do what feels good, have fun. The Lord's version is much different. Live each moment with joy, taking advantage of each moment you have been given, but in the light of what those moments will mean for eternity. Where are you storing up your treasures? Is your life focused on what you can accomplish and accumulate in this life, or what you can store up for eternity? What is eternal? People, salvation, the Kingdom of God. You will never meet a person who at the end of life regrets that they spent to much time focusing on these things. Everything else is fleeting.
The song Good to Be Alive by Jason Gray says it so well:
I wanna live like there's no tomorrow
Love like I'm on borrowed time
It's good to be, it's good to be alive
I won't take it for granted
I won't waste another second
All I want is to give you
A life well lived, to say "thank you"