The average life expectancy in America is 78.8 years old, but we are all aware that everyone may not get that length of years.
This past week, a young, vivacious, loving and beautiful individual passed away unexpectedly and my heart was heavy. I literally saw and spoke to her on Sunday and got the news of her death a couple of days later. This really had me thinking about the fragility of life and how we tend to take life for granted. We are quick to declare that we will finish a task tomorrow, or we will clear up the misunderstanding later because we don’t want to deal with it immediately.
But what would you differently if you knew your time on Earth was numbered? How can we maximize today, knowing that tomorrow is not promised us?
In this 3 Part Series over the next few weeks, we will discuss 3 ways to live as if there was no tomorrow:
- We can maximize our interactions with people
- We can diligently pursue and live out God’s purpose for our lives
- We can increase our passion for God
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom Psalm 90:12
Everyday, we have an abundance of opportunities to maximize and make the most of our interactions with people. Here are two ways can do just that:
1.Carry ourselves with humility
Sometimes, I am too puffed up to say “I’m sorry,” “I’m wrong,” or “please forgive me”. And sometimes, my feelings take over and I tend to engulf myself in satisfying my emotions and my ego. Then there are times when I’m too big to say “I forgive you” because in my heart, I feel that my hurt is justified and I just want the other person to really know what they’ve done to me (don’t judge me). But living a full life means that I have to live in humility: Forgiving, when I’ve been wronged and apologizing when I’ve wronged someone. You see, they both take humility. Life is too short to keep our head so far up that we end up alone, not able to see the people around us.
2. Love Anyway
This is one that God is reminding me of daily. My love is not dependent upon the other person’s response, or their actions or inactions for that matter. If Christ dealt with me based on my actions or inactions, I would be nowhere! At the end of the day, people will remember their interactions with you. What memories will they have? Will the memories be pleasant? filled with love? loaded with tension? conflict ridden? Love anyway because no one has arrived. We are all works in progress and if we wait for a perfect person to love, we will never love.
Dear Lord, teach me to realize the brevity of life, so that I can live in wisdom. Help me to keep a humble and loving spirit as I interact with those you have placed in my life. I realize that every moment is precious and I don’t want to waste it focusing on the petty, non-essential things.
