7/16/19

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. And now is the only time I have for sure because I can’t be sure I even have the rest of this day. I am not being morbid; I am just stating a fact. Our lives can change in an instant. We literally can be here one moment and gone the next. Therefore, today (this very moment) is important. Perhaps that is why the Preacher (the writer of Ecclesiastes) wrote,  “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--   A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.   A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.   A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.   A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.   A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.   A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.   A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”  

I can’t be sure of tomorrow or even the rest of this day. But I can control what I am doing at this very moment. And since today is the first day of the rest of my life I want it to count for something. If I do the right thing in the moment I now have it will have a positive effect on whatever time I have left in this world. I won’t have to live in regret, shame and guilt because I did the wrong thing. Doing the right thing in the time I now have will give me the greatest peace and joy in the time I have left in this world. And it will also give me a better hope for eternity and the judgment to come. Some day we will all give an account of how we have used our time here. Yes, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Use it wisely.

Pastor Ron