Living Like There Is Always Tomorrow

"Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" - Luke 12:16-20

I often think about that parable in the context of how I am living my life. What my priorities are. What I put my hope and confidence in. What I invest my life in. We are not promised our next breath and yet, we live like there will be a thousand tomorrows. That is until we are reminded by some malady that befalls us or someone we care about or learn of the unexpected death of someone we care about and especially when they are younger than we are.

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." - James 4:13-15

In Haitian Creole the words are "Si Bondye Vle" meaning if the Lord wants or wills. The point, we should be living like each day is our last. With our eyes and hearts fixed on heaven and not earth. What would you have done differently today if you knew that you would not see tomorrow? Like the man building bigger barns, would you be feathering your own nest? It is not wrong to be a good steward of what you are given by God to steward. But it is so easy to lose sight of why you have been given it. Might be money or it might be time you are stewarding.

Some dear friends of ours live a relatively simple life by choice. They say that they live simply so others can simply live. There is a term that I learned in sociology 101 in 1971, "conspicuous consumption". The term might be another way of saying "building bigger barns". People buying things that far exceed their needs as a way of proclaiming their affluence to the world. Others may be impressed, even envious, but God is not. Not should you be.

So -- what would you do differently if you knew that today or tomorrow would be your last day? 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone