Time Marches On

"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly." 1 Timothy 4:7

Turning fifty was hard for me.  You may not be there yet, or you may be so far past there that you vaguely remember the age, but for some reason, my mind thought time would stand still at age fifty, and that I wouldn't get any older.

But, I did.  I aged beyond fifty.

The body aged, too.  And, the face.  Yes, the face.  New wrinkles, and lines on the neck.  Kind friends call them character marks.  They remind me of the alternative . . . seeing Jesus before my life's work is through.  

The signs in my changing body are gentle reminders that time marches on.

But, we must ask ourselves, are we marching with it?  Like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, are you and I recognizing that our lives are brief, like the morning fog (James 4:14)?

Psalm 39:4 says, "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is."

God blesses us with opportunities every day to share His love, His message of salvation, with those around us, and we are commanded--not requested, commanded--to do this.

Are we doing it?  Your life, your choices matter.  They matter a lot.

C. T. Studd wrote a beautiful poem entitled, Only One Life, and my father has often lovingly reminded me of its key phrase, and I share it with you:

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

May we live each day knowing that our time on earth is brief, making the most of every opportunity God grants to us.