30 Minutes or 30 Years?

Sandy and I were talking about life and such things the other night. As a part of that conversation, we started talking about how we would live our life if we knew when we'd pass from this life to eternity with Jesus.

Questions ran through my head: What is the source of my pleasure and sense of success? What am I pouring my passion into? If spending time with my children was my sole priority, am I doing this now, or am I thinking that I have time? If it were my job, then all of my time and energy would go into that.

Knowing that my life on this earth is limited and that I have many things tugging at my time, I am faced with making these choices on a moment by moment basis. We talked about the movie "Last Holiday" in which Georgia Byrd (played by Queen Latifah) was informed that she has three weeks to live. She totally changed her life priorities and did things that she hadn't even considered doing before, living a life of brevity rather than longevity. I enjoyed the movie, however, it doesn't reflect my own attitude about the way I'm living my life.

I had to stop and think about all of this before I arrived at the conclusion that I should be living my life the same way even if I were going to pass on in the next 30 minutes or if I passed on 30 years from now. Am I? I believe for the most part I am … however, I'm open to God for further clarification and guidance. So, my prayerful attitude is: Father, help me know what You want me to do. Echoing the words of Apostle Jim Durkin, these have had a spiritual influence in my life:

I cannot please everyone who puts a demand on me, therefore I choose to please God, and, whomever that pleases, I must assume I am to work with them.

I cannot do everything that can be done, therefore I choose to do what God wants me to do. If I do this, I know I will meet every reasonable goal for my life.

I will blame no one for where I find myself. I will accept the blame, if any, for my own choices. If others have wronged me, that is their problem, but I am where I am by my choices.

I run no more. I will stand and fight Satan where I am. If I need to change, I will do it where I am. I will stay and stand until I win, and leave when I can walk out with my head held upright.

By putting God first, I believe I will have all the time needed for my family, friends, business, self-growth and leisure. I believe God has so made life that a man has time to finish what God has called him to do.