For the youngest in our midst today, life seems to pass very slowly, especially as they await moving to the next grade, becoming a teenager, getting a driver’s license, turning 18, graduating from high school, etc., but for the oldest in our midst, they think how quickly life has passed.
As we come to James 4:13-17, we find that James is asking a basic question, “For what is your life?” and his response is basically, life is really short. The Bible has a lot to say about time, or the days of our lives. Yet the most important thing it says is something we know already, and that is our time is limited. Time can be used or wasted, it can be invested or squandered, but either way, once used, it can never be regained. Time matters because we have such a limited supply.
Through the years I have come to greatly appreciate Psalm 90, which was written by Moses, and especially verse 12: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We only get one shot at this life, and one shot at this moment in our life. How will we spend it, and what if this were your last moment? Where would you find yourself in eternity?
Because life is really short, let’s learn from James 4:13-17 how to live what days we have with a heart of wisdom.