How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. James 4:14 NLT
Here’s a challenge. Quiet your mind and focus for a moment:
Imagine your life ended abruptly right now. Tomorrow the world would awaken to discover you had left them a world without you in it. What would be left undone that you were sure you’d eventually handle? What truths would you want the people you love to understand that you have never discussed? What stories of life and faith would they never know? What lessons you learned in life would they have to figure out on their own? What would you wish you had done for God that you kept putting off? And what messes – actual and physical, as well as emotional and relational – would you want to have sorted out?
Okay, don’t quit too quickly. I’d say all of us could use some honest reflection on thoughts we don’t like to think. We need to begin some corrective action in areas we honestly know should be different. In order to be the persons we have been called to be and leave the legacy our heart desires and our witness demands, we must take action to align our lives with those desires.
What might that mean for you? I have seen people respond in a great variety of ways, all amazingly healthy and wise. Some have begun repairing relational rifts, asking for and giving forgiveness. Some have started volunteering for causes they believe are important but never did anything about. Many have changed their giving practices and updated their wills and estate plans to reflect in their resources and final witness what their priority was in life. Others have done something as simple but difficult as cleaning up the junk they have accumulated over the years, making grieving less complicated for their families when they leave this life.
Some have made a list of people they wanted to see in heaven, yet with whom they had never shared their own testimony and faith and began praying for God to help them work through that list. Some are taking better care of their bodies to do their part in enabling a longer life for making a difference and leaving a positive legacy. The responses to such a time of self-reflection are inspiring! Add yours to the list!
- End-of-life thoughts are ones most of us avoid until they are thrust upon us. But as James asked, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while and then it is gone.” The only time you have to make a difference for the end of your life is now. The only time you can proactively determine what your legacy will be is now. Otherwise, you will compile a legacy of accidental, lazy, and inferior decisions. Jesus wants more than that for us. “Jesus, help me make the best use of my life for you and others.”