The Measure of a Life
Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-how fleeting my life is.
- Psalm 39:4
It seems that everyone wants to know how to prolong their lives. But here is what we need to realize: God has an appointed day for our birth as well as for our death. Job, speaking to God, said, "You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer" (Job 14:5). David prayed, "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-how fleeting my life is" (Psalm 39:4).
Let's say your doctor called you into his office tomorrow and said, "I have just received your test results, and I regret to inform you that you have approximately one year to live." If that were the situation, how would you live your life from that point on? Would you live any differently?
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In her widely circulated column entitled, "If I Had My Life to Live Over," Erma Bombeck wrote, "But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it . . . look at it and really see it . . . try it on . . . live it . . . exhaust it . . . and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it."
When it is all said and done, it is not just about living a long life; it is living a life that is full and purposeful. Sometimes people live long lives and waste them. Others live long lives and do horrible things with them. And some live shorter lives, but their lives make a great difference.
Corrie ten Boom said, "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation." What kind of donation is your life making?
