Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:11-12
Our life is busy with things to do, plans, projects, activities, and so on. We are all like circus jugglers – but instead of juggling balls, we are juggling jobs, family, finances, relationships, projects, meetings, and other things that occupy our time and attention. But it is good to view life from a different perspective – when all the juggling ends. The truth is that all of us are living short lives – it is like a ripple in the ocean, and then it is gone. We are just like fireworks that will brilliantly light up the sky for a few seconds and then vanish. We are approaching our final deadline. It is as if each of us has an expiration date or a timer that we are not aware of – and we are all approaching our end day, sooner or later.
All our works, riches, and accomplishments will be gone. All our possessions and riches we cannot bring to where we are going. All the nice, pretty and seemingly priceless things we have amassed over our lifetime, we will have to leave all of them behind. The form of this world is passing away.
All our earthly relationships will also all go. All our close families and friends, even our relationship with our enemies, will also end. All relationships shall be restored in heaven if we and all our friends and families choose to put God first in this life, to have an endless enjoyment of all good relationships for all time.
This is why Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, instructed them to “set their minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” [Colossians 3:2] Paul knows that people who focus on earthly things are like they are building their lives on sinking sand. They are wasting their energy, talents, and efforts on something that will one day sink and disappear. Paul is instructing the Colossians to seek the things above – in heaven. If we focus on the life above, the way we live our lives will also change.
First, our most important relationships with our families and friends – are they focusing on things based on sinking sand, or are their lives focused on God? If not, let us make every effort to show in our lives and speak about how important God is. The best thing we can share and give to our families and friends is not material things but our faith based on Jesus Christ.
Second, we want to be like Jesus in the big and small things we do – at home, at work, or in school. We want to reflect the likeness of Jesus to all our families and friends so they will see Jesus in us. To many of our acquaintances, we will be the only Gospel they will ever read – are we representing Jesus well with our speech and conduct?
Third, Jesus commands us to share the Gospel. If our focus is on heaven and we slowly imitate Jesus’ character, the next thing we need to do is to share the gospel with all our neighbours. We have discovered the hidden treasure – with joy, we should tell everyone about the immeasurable gain that we have so they, too, will enjoy and possess that hidden treasure. We are not to keep the hidden treasure for ourselves – the more we share it with others, the more our hidden treasure gets more valuable and enjoyable.
May we always be aware of our expiration date and base our life on a solid foundation in Christ. May we seek His face always. May we use all our earthly things in investing in heavenly things. May we be open to sharing the good news with all our families, friends, and acquaintances, knowing that a life without God is a waste – and a life with God is a life really worth living.
Top image credit: Photo of an hourglass on the background of a sunset. The value of time in life and eternity. Image from Bigstock.com, © by Oleg Troino, stock photo ID: 474667501. Used with permission.
Tom Caballes is a National Coordinator of the Lamb of God, a community of the Sword of the Spirit with seven branches located throughout New Zealand. Tom and his wife Mhel and their two daughters [with his son-in-law and grand-daughter] live in Wellington, New Zealand.