"It takes a great man, and one who has risen far above human weakness, not to allow any of his time to be filched from him." - Seneca (Roman philosopher) .jpg)
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How much time do we have? The brevity of life is a theme throughout the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiates. Because life is short, don't neglect what is truly important. It is ironic that people who spend so much time securing their lives on earth spend so little or no thought about where they will spend eternity.
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Our life on earth is short: How long can we live? Seventy, or eighty, if we are strong(Psalms 90:10). That is the average - for some, it may be longer, for others shorter. No matter how long we live, life is still short. .James 4:14 reads, "Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
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Our days are numbered! Just like canned food sitting on the shelf of a supermarket, we too have an expiry date. The only difference is the cans' expiry date are clearly indicated, whilst we can never be sure when is ours. Psalms 89:47 reads, "... remember, how short my time is ... what man can live and not see death." The statistic is sure - 100%! Death is certain for all; everyone is in; no one is exempted.
Our days are numbered! Just like canned food sitting on the shelf of a supermarket, we too have an expiry date. The only difference is the cans' expiry date are clearly indicated, whilst we can never be sure when is ours. Psalms 89:47 reads, "... remember, how short my time is ... what man can live and not see death." The statistic is sure - 100%! Death is certain for all; everyone is in; no one is exempted.
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Just the other day, I came across an interesting article in the Straits Times. What caught my attention was its catchy title "Live Wisely". The opening paragraph (below) was captivating enough to entice me to read on...
"Last week, I celebrated by 45th birthday. I found myself reflecting, not for the first time, on just how quickly life flashes by. My teenage years are still fresh in my mind, yet they have now receded 30 years into the past. Statistically speaking, my death is closer than my birth."
photo: Upper Seletar Reservoir, S'pore (May 09)
Having celebrated my birthday recently, I could identify with the author. Later this year, my university mates are planning a reunion gathering - time has indeed caught up with us when we realized that we have known each other for 25 years! .
Back to the article... The writer, Gary Hayden, shared some thoughts from an essay, "On The Shortness of Life", by Seneca, who was a Roman politician and philosopher who lived from 4 BC to 65 AD. In his essay, he hammers home a simple yet profound truth: that life is plenty long enough provided we use it wisely. The trouble, of course, is that very few of us do use it wisely. We treat time, our precious commodity, as though it were of little value. Much of his essay is taken up describing the many ways in which men and women fritter away their time. Three examples were mentioned.
.Back to the article... The writer, Gary Hayden, shared some thoughts from an essay, "On The Shortness of Life", by Seneca, who was a Roman politician and philosopher who lived from 4 BC to 65 AD. In his essay, he hammers home a simple yet profound truth: that life is plenty long enough provided we use it wisely. The trouble, of course, is that very few of us do use it wisely. We treat time, our precious commodity, as though it were of little value. Much of his essay is taken up describing the many ways in which men and women fritter away their time. Three examples were mentioned.
1) One of the biggest time-wasters is the pursuit of riches. We all must work to earn money to live, of course. We have little choice in that. But many people become, in Seneca's words, "possessed by greed that is insatiable". The acquisition of wealth comes to dominate their lives.... Greed drives them on and on.
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2) Our leisure activities can be just as unrewarding. "Would you say that man is at leisure," wrote Seneca, "who arranges with [OBSESSIVE] care his Corinthians bronzes... and spends the greater part of each day upon bits of rusty copper?"... What started out as a pleasure became a burden and a self-imposed one at that.
3) Another only-too-common way of squandering time is to sacrifice it to the whims of others. "Men do not suffer anyone to seize their estates," wrote Seneca, "yet they allow others to trespass upon their time".
These words strike a very deep chord in me. I can look back on many occasions when I have wasted precious hours, days, and weeks on activities that hold no value for me. Why? Simply because someone else roped me into them. "All those who summon you to themselves turn you away from your own self," wrote Seneca. This is not to say that we should never offer our time to others. But we should do so only when we feel that the time is well spent. The bible has a lot to say and to teach us about living wisely:
"Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom" - Psalms 90:12. - "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life... Each man's life is but breath." - Psalms 39:4-5.
Don't be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to live. If there is something important we want to do, we must not put it off for a better day. Ask yourself, "If I had only six months to live, what would I do?" Tell someone you love him or her? Deal with an undiscplined area in your life? Tell someone about Jesus? Because life is short, don't neglect what is truly important.
Realising that life is short helps us use the little time we have more wisely and for eternal good. Take time to nurture your days by asking, "What do I want to see happen in my life before I die? What small step could I take towards that purpose today?"
Source: Gary Hayden "Live Wisely", The Straits Times, June 4, 2009; LAB
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