22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truthfor a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestlyfrom a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:22-25, ESV)
Just over a week ago, I arrived home in the early afternoon, only to find that our long-time furry-friend, Cosmo, had been killed by a wild animal. That night we drove to my in-laws’ farm and buried our beloved cat next to another one of our family’s pets.
As I was walking back towards my in-laws’ home, the concrete slab– where there use to be a house– caught my eye; this is where my wife’s grandparents once lived, and has now ceased to exist. Then the words of Ecclesiastes hit me like a ton of bricks: “Life is fleeting, like a passing mist.”
Do those words resonate with you? They certainly do with me! I am quickly approaching my 40th birthday (my wife is already there…ha). Niki and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary. I have one son graduating this year and another who began his first year of high school. How is this possible? Where does the time go?
We Americans are a busy people; inundated with work demands, family needs, ministry commitments, personal objectives, hobbies, and so on–most of us are left with little down time. And here is what is most striking: much of what we are striving so diligently for now, simply won’t matter in the long run. Much like that once charming farm house, all of these temporary pleasures we are building will one day be obliterated.
There is good news for the child of God. If you are in Christ, you are part of a kingdom that will never fade! “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works]” (Psalm 145:13). With this in mind, we Christians have a tendency to invest way too much in the here-and-now and way too little in that which will last forever.
Work, hobbies, business ventures, are all good things, as long as they don’t consume us. We should always aim to use the temporal as an opportunity to impact the eternal. I encourage you to evaluate your calendar. How much time are you investing in that which will last forever?
And no… I do NOT need one of your kittens.
Cheering You On,
Chris
Chris May 