It seems there is not a week that goes by in which I don’t hear someone say, “I’m just not able to do the things that I used to do.” Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I speak mostly to those who, like myself, are growing older and our bodies more frail. For many, it is a worrisome thought, but I have learned that it is easier to embrace the fact that we will not live on earth forever, and what we are feeling has been common to mankind in every era. There are indeed seasons of life that define who we are from the cradle to the grave, and each new season stands in stark contrast to the last.
The Bible tells us that God created us as eternal souls for His own eternal fellowship. For those of us who believe Him, life on earth is the beginning rather than the end. You do believe in God don’t you? The purpose of our present temporal life is to glorify God in all that we do, and to prepare ourselves for eternal life in His presence. This preparation involves accepting His gift of forgiveness, which was purchased at great cost to Himself. Jesus, His Son, stooped to become a man in order to buy us back, and restore us to our Creator God. He died, was buried, and rose again from the grave, to purchase our pardon and offer us eternal life in His presence. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31)”
As older and perhaps wiser believers living in the last seasons of life, we can avail ourselves of new opportunities to serve the Lord—things that we were incapable of before, or perhaps “too busy,” or too ignorant to grasp the significance of. Missionary C.T. Studd said it best, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Perhaps you should put life on pause for a moment, step back and ask yourself a few questions: Am I ready to meet the Lord? Have I done anything to honor Him who has sacrificed so much for me? It is time to consider your eternal soul and the continuation of life in a realm of which, though unseen, you are destined to be a part. “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)”