Most of us really don’t know. And perhaps that’s a good thing. We don’t know when the next life-altering event will change things forever. If we did know, we’d probably either be too scared to do anything at all, or put off making any necessary changes until the last possible minute. But by not knowing we’re at risk of being unprepared. How would you live today if you knew for sure that it would all end tomorrow?
In truth, there are any number of things that could happen. And many of these things are likely; we just don’t know when they’re going to happen.
Would you live any differently if you knew that one of these things would happen soon?
- The economy falls apart with massive unemployment, inflation, and business failures
- A house fire destroys your belongings
- Your company goes bankrupt and you lose your job
- Your child or your spouse develops a life-threatening illness, or has a serious accident
- You have a heart attack
- A tornado or a flood destroys your home
- A terrorist attack happens in the city where you live
- A world nuclear war breaks out
- Your son or daughter, husband or wife, is deployed to a war zone
- Jesus appears in the eastern sky
Of course these are all very different possibilities, but they all would completely change how you live your life. And what does “soon” mean? Would it matter if you knew one of these life-altering events would happen tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year?
Would knowing when such an event would happen change what you watch on TV? How you say Goodbye to your spouse? How you use credit cards? How much time you spend reading the Bible?
Are the things you spend your time and money on, the way you treat people, and the investment you make in your spiritual life the way you would want it all to be if you knew you didn’t have much more time left on this Earth?
People who develop a life-threatening illness frequently talk about the benefit of perspective that such an experience provides. A diagnosis of cancer would immediately make some things unimportant that had seemed so vital only days earlier. Loss of a job, or a natural disaster, can make you realize the value of people over material things. Eternity seems very close when you know you only have days or weeks to live.
So again, how would you live differently if you knew everything would change tomorrow? You might:
- Say “I’m sorry”
- Let go of a grudge
- Work hard to get out of debt
- Turn off the TV and talk with your spouse
- Do whatever it takes to get over that addiction
- Not worry about what somebody else thinks
- Take the trip you’ve always wanted to go on
- Have a family picture taken
- Tell someone you care about about Jesus
- Make sure your own heart is right with God.
You don’t know the future. You might have a long time yet in this life. If so, you want to be sure the small things you do today are likely to give you the future you desire.
Or your future might change drastically tomorrow. The economy could be wiped out. The world could go to war. You could die. Jesus could come.
How can you keep both of those perspectives in place?
- Live so that if your life ends tomorrow you would have no regrets.
- Live so that if your life goes on for decades your actions today will result in the future you want.
Here’s to ending without regrets!
Your Turn: What one thing would you change if you knew your life would end tomorrow? Is it something you can do today? Leave your comment below.
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