The Time Is Short

Week 1 - Day 3 ... Live Like You Are Dying Daily Readings

"George was a staunch unbeliever.  At 55, he found out he had only a short time to live due to pancreatic cancer, a particularly potent form of this dreaded disease.  Certain things began to change for George.  He slowed down some, let his hair grow, became more frank in his speech (which was already pretty colorful), but he also became more belligerent.  These changes did not espcape the notice of his neighbor who was a Christian and found it impossible to share anything about salvation or eternity with George without a violent reaction.  George had been angry with God before this happened (he had some understanable reasons to be), but now he was really cantankerous.

Truth of the matter is:  none of us has very long to live.  It's all relative.  Paul calls us to live all the time as if the end is near.  Read what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31:

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.  From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them.  For this world in its present form is passing away."

What he's saying here is that an eternal perspective on your life will govern your emotions and keep you from being defined by your possessions and caught up in the escalating rat race of accumulating more and more.  If George had already gained this kind of perspective on life, the news of his terminal condition would have been a lot easier to take.  According to Paul, life is already short, and we are better off living with this reality in mind. 

Paul would have liked the "Live Like You Were Dying" song.  He would say that if you live like you were dying, the following things would be true:

1.  You would hold your most precious things loosely -- even your spouse.

2.  You would find emotions tied more to God, your hope in Christ and your love for others because these things are eternal.

3.  You would realize that when it comes to earthly possessions, you don't really own anything.

4.  You would use things to love people, not use people to get more things.

Thankfully, George did finally come around to consider the gospel and accept Christ's free gift of salvation.  Fortunately his neighbor ended up taking him to a Willie Nelson concert (George was a huge fan) where an unexpected 20-minute set of gospel songs, all about going home to be with the Lord, got throught to him where nothing else could!  Maybe Willie knows that time is short too.

Questions to ponder -
1.  If you found out today you only had a month to live, what immediate changes would you make?  Which of these could you make right now?

2.  Do a serious gut-check about what has a hold of your heart.  What is one thing you need to let go of today?

3.  What is one positive change you could make for your life today?