Faces on Faith: Does anyone have the time?
During my college days I was required to read a little book by Og Mandino entitled, “The Greatest Salesman in the World.” The last thing I wanted to be was a salesman, but I found out the book really had very little to do with selling and a whole lot to do with living!
One chapter of the book was entitled, “I will live this day as if it were my last.” In that brief chapter, every word seemed to pierce my heart, challenging me to live life to the fullest. I know that to this day the words of that little book influence the passion that moves me to live life redemptively.
Time is a commodity that once it is spent, it is gone permanently. When we waste time, or kill time, it is a loss that will not be restored. Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “Lost time is never found again.”
Time rushes on. Seems to me the older you get, the faster it goes. The words of Dr. Seuss are true: “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flown. How did it get so late so soon?”
Realizing that truth, we can savor every moment as it comes, embracing even the fleeting flowers that are here only for a season.
Living today as if it were our last can influence our impact on the world around us for good. That was true of Mother Teresa. Her motto was this: “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” Living today fully drives back the demons of procrastination, slothfulness and apathy.
From the wisdom of the Bible, we read the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote, “Be wise. Make the best use of your time!” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Time is a gift, and what we do with that gift is our gift back to the One Who gave us our days!
As we rolled the calendar over to 2017, a fresh new year, 365 days lie before us. Or maybe not. Maybe just one day and how will we live that day? How about we live each day as if that day might be our last day?
-Daryl G. Donovan, Sanibel Community Church