CHARLES HARRIS: Life is short; do things that matter

When Jacob was 130 years old, he told Pharaoh in Genesis 47:9, “few and unpleasant have been the years of my life.” One hundred and thirty years and Jacob called them “few.” David said in Psalm 39:4-5, “Lord, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.” In view of life’s brevity, notice some things you must take time to do:

First, take time to listen. God said through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come to Me: hear and your soul shall live.” Above anyone else, you must listen to God and hear His Word in all matters. The psalmist said in Psalm 119:24, “Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.” God’s Word always gives the best counsel, because God has perfect wisdom.

Second, take time to learn. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:98-99 says, “Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Thy testimonies are my meditation.” God gives us true wisdom that guides us now and leads us to eternal life.

Third, take time to laugh and rejoice. Prov. 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Many people have forgotten how to laugh or enjoy life. Their lives are sad, dreary, and drab. Paul, while in a Roman prison, wrote in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, rejoice!” He found a way to find joy in life even in the harshest of circumstances.

Fourth, take time to lift. Galatians 6:2 urges Christians to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” There are many who need a helping hand of kindness. Many people are too busy with personal pursuits and pleasures to lift the less fortunate; but the more you bless others, the more you find blessing. Send a note, make a phone call, give a compliment, smile, encourage, and show that you care. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Fifth, take time to love. 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Because Jesus loved you, you can know how to love others. 1 John 3:16-18 says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

There are many uncertainties in life; and you can’t foresee what the future holds, but you must prepare for at least one divine appointment. One day you’ll stand before the throne of God to give an account for your life (2 Corinthians 5:10). What do you see when you look at yourself? Are you the person that God could honor? Are you living for the Lord or are you chasing after the wind? Don’t waste your life with the things that don’t matter. Build your house upon the rock by listening to the Lord Jesus and doing what He says. Make your life count for eternity.

The best thing you can do is to place your faith in Christ Jesus, who created you. And since you’re made in the image of God, let God work in and through you to make a difference in this world. Trust in the Lord and in His words and promises. As C.T. Studd once wrote, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”