Life is a Vapor

 Where did the time go. The man I see in the mirror defies the youthful playful person I feel inside. Wrinkles appear. The hair is thinning or already thinned. The remaining hair is greying. Muscles are weaker than they used to be. Former eagle eyes require glasses for vision improvement. Joints ache and make noises like the cereal Rice Krispies. Loss of balance makes me less sure footed than when in my prime. Strength is fading. I can only do a fraction of the things I used to could do. 

James wrote that life is a vapor. We just appear for a little while. [James 4:14] In our youth, we are in such a hurry to grow up. We played dress up in grown up clothes. Pretended to be firefighters, police officers, teachers, bakers, doctors, and a host of other professions. One day we realize that we are grown. We long for the simpler days of our youth. Then we enter the winter season of our lives. We remember the good old days. 

The cycle of life comes and goes. We are only here for a little while. The average age of death for most Americans is 76. I don't know where you are on that scale. I am way past the halfway point. We are exhorted to number our days so that we can present wise hearts to God. [Ps 90:12] To live life to the fullest in our service and love of God while we can. 

My study of Ecclesiastes has convinced me that the essence of living is not about how much money we make or what we accomplish in our careers. What matters in the end can be summed up in the last two verses of the book found in [Eccl 12:13-14] Fear God. Keep His commands. The rest is vanity like chasing the wind. 

It is true that life is a vapor appearing for a little while and then vanishing. Our days on this planet need to count for something. Solomon thinks it is to fear, respect, and revere God. It is also to obey Him keeping His commands. A life spent doing those things is not a wasted life. It might not even be a prolonged life. It will be full life. A satisfying life. A purposeful life. A God besotted life. May we strive for that in our short stay on this planet.