We are only here of this earth for a very short while. As a young boy I felt as though time passed slowly, but over the years, time seems to go by so much more quickly.
Obviously, the dimension of time has not changed, but my perception certainly has. Over the years I’ve also come to consider it more precious and do all I can to use the hours more wisely than during my younger more impetuous years.
Occasionally, I do look back at the 18 months spent as a young Army officer during the Vietnam War. I gladly sacrificed that time in defending the rights of the Vietnamese people to, hopefully, experience freedom from oppression.
That time is forever gone and I certainly don’t feel it was spent in vain, since I did grow immensely and learned much about life and just how brief and precious it can be.
In Psalm 103:15-16, an older and wiser King David reflects, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”
These words may bring a certain sadness to some of you, but in reality the brevity and preciousness of life can’t be denied. It does us no good longing for the days that have passed, but we can cherish and learn from those occasions.
No one knows the number of days we have left here on this earth. If we take care of ourselves, get plenty of rest, eat properly and exercise often, we may extend our days, but in time we must all face the eventuality of death.
These Fourth Quarter Strategies discussions are designed to encourage readers to make the most of whatever time we have remaining. The fourth quarter of life can quickly end and catch us unprepared!
I’m amazed at how NFL quarterbacks can accomplish so much in the last few minutes of a game. They have this knack to utilize the clock to their advantage with only a few seconds spent for each play as they meticulously move toward the goal line.
We can’t stop the clock as these quarterbacks so deftly do, but we can allow our Father in Heaven to assist us greatly as our time on this earth fades away.
Our Heavenly Quarterback can navigate our precious time as He allows us to accomplish much for His Kingdom in these remaining days. Time is not our enemy, but the Enemy will do his best to discourage and frustrate all we do. Satan wants us to give up and think that we are already conquered and all is hopeless.
All the wealth in the world cannot help us to live a long and fulfilling life. I’ve found true wealth lies in our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and with those He places in our path. In James 1:11, Jesus’ half-brother shares, “For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even as he goes about his business.”
Whatever time we have left must be spent in meaningful relationships. We must cherish each moment we have remaining.
We can all be encouraged by the words of Paul in Romans 8:37: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Each day is a new day and a new opportunity to accomplish much for God’s glory. We need to confidently begin each day knowing that our time is nearing the end and pursue God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and seize every opportunity to do our small part in showing the love of Christ to those who don’t yet know His immense love for all mankind.
Remain strong in your faith and call upon Jesus often. We might well be facing the final remaining minutes of life’s game. This world may soon be gasping its last few breaths as Christ prepares for His imminent return!
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at jim@fourthquarterstrateies.com for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.