Wednesday, December 26, 2012
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I think it's somewhere during your senior year of high school you begin to develop this priceless trait called perspective. I know that Chris did. Chris was at school and I bumped into him one day. He stopped me and he said, "You know, Ron, you told me something when I was a freshman and I didn't believe it then. Now I do."
You said, 'You're going to blink, and suddenly you're going to be a senior.'" And I told him at that time, "You know, it looks like high school is going to be forever, Chris. I know you're only a freshmen, but believe me, it's going to be gone so fast!" Three years later, Chris stood before me, looked me in the eye and said, "Ron, where did high school go? It did go that fast!"
Well, I'm ___ years old, and I'm asking, (you say, "Ron, I didn't understand that." That's correct.) "Where did all those years go...not four years of high school." I look at my children, "Where is that little girl I carried? Where is that little boy at play?" You know, the sooner you realize how fast life is moving, the better you're going to live it.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Too Precious To Waste."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 90, and I'll begin reading at verse 10. Moses says, "The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass..." That sounds like Chris looking back at high school doesn't it? "But they quickly pass, and we fly away." I think that's the feeling.
And then Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Moses seems to be saying here, "When you realize how fast life goes by, you discover the preciousness (I don't know if that's a word, but we'll go with it), you discover the preciousness of a day. He says his response to life racing by is, "Lord, I want to wisely know what the best thing is to do with this day. Help me number my days; make every day count. Help me not to waste this one, Lord."
What a great way to wake up in the morning as you're coming into consciousness and going through your day, and doing your getting ready ritual in the morning, "Lord, help me not to waste this one. It's too precious to waste; these days go too fast. This isn't just another day; this is a day not like any other I'll ever have. I'll never have this 24 hours again."
Take parenting for example. Don't look at your child's life as their whole life. Have a good day with them. Today do they know the boundaries? Today do they know you love them? Have you shown it today? Today have you impressed upon them that Jesus is right here with us? Today do they know they're special? Make this day count in your parenting. Then you don't panic over big chunks of time like what's going to happen in a few months or a few years. Do the day!
How about sharing Christ with someone you care about? There may be a moment of openness and opportunity this day that may never be there again. Making a difference: deciding whether you want to live your life to make a difference, to advance God's kingdom, to seek first His kingdom. That great song "Make me a blessing to someone today." That's a wonderful prayer. How about getting ready to be with Jesus forever by spending time with Him now? Don't you want to invest in the relationship that will be your relationship forever?
Make sure today you know Him a little better than you knew Him before. You're going to look back - believe me - and you're going to say, "Where did it all go?" Well, right now you need to say, "Where will the days that I have left go?" The answer should be what I would call invested days.
A day is too precious to waste. It is only to be spent for the people and for the causes that are going to matter forever. Okay, you've got a day. Invest it!