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Time Well Spent

            Misao Okawa, the world’s oldest person, celebrated her 117th birthday last week.  When asked for her thoughts about living that long, Okawa replied, “It seemed rather short!”
            That should not be surprising though.  James 4:14 says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”.  Job tells us that we are like flowers that spring up and then wither away, or like shadows that do not endure (Job 14:2).  The fact is that whether we live to be 27, 77, or 117 years old, our lives seem to pass very quickly. 
            In light of this, some people try to make the most of their time by doing whatever makes them happy right now.  In that case, “Live your best life” usually translates into “Think mostly about yourself”.    However, scripture presents a different option.  It says, “Since time is short, why not spent it helping others?”
            Paul demonstrated this alternate attitude to the Corinthian church when he said, “I will spend everything I have and I will spend my life for the good of your souls” (2 Corinthians 12:15).  Paul was not thinking about what he could get, but rather what he could give.  He was not thinking about his own interests, but the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).  He was not being selfish, rather he was saying, “My life is short, so I am going to spend it doing something that matters”.
            It is not that having fun or doing things that you enjoy is wrong.  It is just that those things should not make up the entire purpose of our lives because, in the end, they will not be very satisfying. 
            God is calling us to something bigger than just amusing ourselves.
            “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way” (Luke 6:38).

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