I was recently going through some old materials from my distant past, and I discovered a Newsweek article from December 1998. That article was titled The Secret of Aging, and had a number of sentences highlighted by me. The closing highlighted statements by me were: If nothing else, at least be aware the value of time. One thing is certain – when you spend money, it is possible to acquire more. Once you have spent time, it is gone forever. The lesson for all of us is, I suppose, do the meaningful things while there is still time.
When I rediscovered this article last week, I realized that I had just turned 50 years old that year. In reading the article, I understood that the writer was turning 50 years old in just a few months, and he had just been fired from his job as a journalist. So my sense is that he was maybe for the first time pondering the meaning of life, both due to his age and loss of his job.
Psalm 90:12 – So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
I believe this scripture is emphasizing the value of being mindful of our limited time on earth and using it wisely, implying that time is more precious than material wealth. Of course, we need to earn money to live happy and successful lives, but it also encourages us to use our entire life to strike the appropriate Godly balance of time and money. It is essential to evaluate the use of our time in light of the brevity of life on earth. A heart of wisdom is essential to focus on God’s sovereignty and His revelation.
The other highlighted statement by me from that article was: It’s true that the older we get, the faster time goes. Cindy and I find that the past few years we feel that we are so much busier and time moves so much faster than when we were younger. It seems like we are always in Washington DC visiting our children and grandchildren or they are in Gainesville or we are with them on vacation somewhere. We also feel that our Gainesville lives are still very busy as well with church activities and visiting with other friends. Life is good, and we wouldn’t want it any differently, as long as we are healthy enough to continue our lives in this manner.
However, it is also true that our active times on earth are limited and we all face the day where we cannot get around very well anymore. As we approach the time when we are laying on our death bed, will we spend time thinking about how much more money we could or should have earned, or maybe about the lack of time that we chose to spend with our loved ones?
Ephesians 5:15-17 – So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
We need to make the decision early in life to make the most of our time on this evil earth in fulfilling God’s purpose for us, living our life obeying every opportunity for worship and service that he plants in our hearts. Hopefully, we will hear these words when we leave this world from Matthew 25:23, Well done, good and faithful servant.