Brevity of Life

 I just talked with a retired pastor friend of mine. He told me his recent schedule of doing six funerals in the past few weeks plus one yesterday and two lined up for the next week. He made the comment doing all these funerals has made him consider the brevity of life. 

I believe the average age of life span for an American male is somewhere around the mid seventies while women tend to live longer. No matter how careful a person is with their health, people still die. Let me be even more emphatic. 100% of people die. Young. Old. Rich. Poor. Powerful. Weak. Popular. Obscure. Power and wealth cannot save a person from death. It's the fate of all mankind. 

What we must consider with the brevity of life is two issues. One deals with where people will spend eternity. I recently talked to a person who wanted to take their life. Our conversation turned to matters of eternity. This must be considered by every individual. There is no just hoping it all turns out alright in the end. 

Like a middle aged woman I talked to years ago told me when I asked where she would spend eternity, "I guess I will end up where I am supposed to be." She had no understanding of salvation through the grace of Jesus. Truth be told most people don't either. She did not grow up attending church. She was raised by pagan parents and had little to no spiritual influence. 

We don't just end up where we are supposed to. To ignore the matter of our eternal destination is to for sure sentence our soul to damnation. All the while, Jesus offers people the free forgiveness of sins and salvation to all who would believe in His death and resurrection to pay the penalty for our sin. That is what John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 are all about. 

A second thing to consider about the brevity of life is how quickly life goes by and how we will invest our days. What will we trade our time and talent in exchange for reward? What will give our allotted days to doing. 

Life is brief. The older I get the faster life spins. Holidays and birthdays seem to come around faster than they did when I was a child. Days go by more swiftly. Weekends fly by in a blur of activity. I am looking at a picture of three of my sons taken before Turner (the youngest was born.) Taylor is laying in my arms with me prostrate on the floor. Tanner is on my right shoulder and Tucker is sitting on my back. Now Taylor is 27, Tanner is 24, Tucker 22, and Turner nearly 19. Where did the time go watching them grow up playing superheroes in the backyard, teaching them to ride bicycles, playing catch and going to their first day of school. Filed trips, class parties, coaching their ball teams, sitting in the stands praying for them and cheering them on, teaching them life lessons, sharing special time with dad with each of them. They are men now and no longer little boys. Life is brief. 

Tucker and I went to breakfast today. A treasured father and son time I do not get to enjoy frequently anymore. Life is brief. I will not be here for them forever. One day, Lord willing in the not too distant future, each of them will discover the loves of their lives and begin their own families. I will embrace that season too, but also realize how brief life is. 

Life is brief. I want to make most of the days I have left. To realize that eternity is just around the corner. 

I am reminded of this each day when I walk into my office with a quote from C.T. Study on my wall. 

Only one life to live - twill soon be past

Only what is done for Christ will last.

At 55 I already have a lifetime of regrets. I know I am closer to the end of life than the beginning. It's past time for dreaming but for doing. Each day is a gift. What we do with that day is a gift back to God. To cherish His blessings of family and friends. To learn as a life long student. To enjoy His creation. To relentlessly pursue knowing God. To read. To write. To labor while it is day. To preach and proclaim His truth. To talk to sinners about their salvation before it is too late. 

One day my time will come if Jesus' return tarries. The cold dew of death will settle on me. I will leave behind this body, but my soul will depart. Maybe my boys will have some kind of memorial service. Perhaps a few church members and friends will attend to remember me. Some will hear the news, Matt Edwards died. Do not believe it. Like D.L. Moody told friends on his deathbed, "I will be more alive then than I have ever been." 

To sum it all up, I go to the Apostle Paul to echo his words to the Philippians Church. "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." [Phil 1:21] Life is brief. So therefore we must choose to make the most of it. That means living a life pleasing to Jesus and then graduating to Heaven at the end. The brevity of life need to cause devoted followers of Jesus to fear.