I’ve recently been reflecting on a verse that I think is worth all of us reflecting on. It’s from the psalms and it says: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10 NIV)
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)
I did the math and realized I only had 13445 days left (including that day) if I made it to 70. 17095 if I made it to 80. My first thought was that I need to hit the gym. But seriously if, by being healthy, I can add 3650 days to this one shot of this speck in eternity where I get to make an impact for the kingdom of God, I want to do that.
The second thought I had was a need to intentionally avoid routine over-busyness.
If we are honest, most of us will admit that we have experienced seasons when the moments, days and weeks seemed to slip away without us noticing. Perhaps we were absorbed by the busyness of everyday routines, or by a difficult season when mere survival was challenge enough. Regardless, we often look back on these seasons with a sense of regret and the feeling that moments were ‘wasted’.
I remember listening to a broadcast where the speaker spoke about a conference in the 50’s where they were making so much progress with computer technology that they predicted we’d all be working half days in 50 years. Well they couldn’t have even imagined the kind of progress we would make in IT, and yet we’re only working harder, faster, longer. Busyness itself isn’t bad, and for most of us its necessary, but routine panic and missing out on what God is calling us to is a mistake we don’t want to make.
My last thought was reflecting on the end of the verse that said ‘gain a heart of wisdom’. I believe that in this context, wisdom is perspective. If we’re going to number our days well, we need to have the right perspective.
I recently watched a movie about a guy who could travel back in time. There’s a scene where he’s told that the secret to this gift of time travel is to live each day twice, “The first time with all the tensions and worries that stop us noticing how sweet the world can be, but the second time noticing”
He does this and you see the difference in the way he lives an ordinary day, stressing, not engaging people and not celebrating victories the first time, but then completely appreciating every moment the second time. Finally he learns he doesn’t need to travel back and re-live each day, he can just live to the fullest the first time round. We obviously don’t have the opportunity to travel in time, but we can all choose to have the right perspective for each day. But as Christians, it’s not just a motivational carpe dime thing about having a good attitude, it’s about having God’s perspective. Recognizing the incredible opportunities he’s given us and making each second count.
I think if we, in Christian media, can get this right, number our days well, we can make a phenomenal impact for the extension of His Kingdom.
Culled from the ACM(Association of Christian Media)
