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Lessions that can be learned from middle age
Death is scary. Most of us don't like to think about it - or
talk about it. Yet there is no factor more important in shaping
our perspective and our priorities. Nevertheless, most of us go
about our business, knowing life is short, but acting as if we
will live forever. Every now and then, we get a wake-up call to
reality: friends die, family members face death, or we attend
the funerals of loved ones.
Let your wake-up call remind you to:
* Live each day with eternal purpose. God has certain
expectations for your life. We often confuse purpose
in life with profession or possessions. Our purpose
is to yield fruit that shows our thankfulness, help
draw others to Christ, and glorify God. (Read: Ps.
116:12-13, Matt. 5:16 and Phil 1:11)
* Invest each day in eternal treasures. When you
realize that your life is not your own, your time is
not your own, and your possessions are not your own,
you have little about which to boast - except Jesus
Christ. Therefore, humble yourself before God. Do not
store up treasures or hoard your wealth. When you truly
begin to comprehend all that Christ has purchased for
you, your acquisitions will seem as nothing. The rewards
in heaven will far outweigh all the collected wealth of
this present world, and be both eternal and imperishable.
(1 Cor. 2:9)
* Prioritize each day for maximum eternal benefit.
Management is the art of getting a job done effectively
and efficiently. Leadership is the art of deciding what
ought to be done. Some people are so busy managing their
lives that they never get around to the issue of
personal leadership. You should let your life be driven
only by the goals and priorities that will be significant
when your life is over.
* Seek first God's kingdom. If you do not have clearly
defined priorities, you will wind up reacting to the
temporal goals and values of others around you. Seek
to know Him and to love Him, to serve Him and to
worship Him, above and beyond all other pursuits. A
popular formula for Christian prioritization is God,
family, church, job, others, and recreation.
* Living with an eye on eternity will bring your life into
proper focus. Eternity is primary. Heaven must be our
ultimate goal. The matter of proper perspective is a
matter of keeping your sights set on God's kingdom while
most everything in the world seeks to distract us and
distort our vision.
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