Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15
Heavenly Father, you haven’t made us for “15 minutes in the spotlight,” but for an eternity of glorifying you and enjoying you forever. As this day begins, we praise you for such a hope and future—a future that’s already begun for us in Jesus. Our eternal life began the day you “raised us up in Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6).
Yet, Father, this Scripture reminds us that our lifespan in this body isn’t very long at all. We’re more like a brief mist than an aging oak. Only you know how many hairs and days we have left. So, in light of the gospel, what should we spend more time doing?
What’ve we been putting off that really matters to you? Where in Jesus’ story of redemption and restoration would you have us invest more of our passion, energy, joy and tears—human trafficking, advocacy for the poor, elder care, missions to a particular unreached people group, encouraging missionaries and young pastors—seeing our present vocation more through the lens of the gospel?
What’s bugging us that isn’t all that “bug-worthy”? Who do we need to forgive, and what do we simply need to let go of? Where should we spend more of your money and less of our worries? With whom should we spend more face-to-face and heart-to-heart time? Who’s coming behind us that we need to teach and nurture in the gospel?
Father, we praise you that we’re not going to merit any more of your affection by doing a better job with any of these things. None of these questions has a scorecard attached to it. It’s Jesus’ performance and record we boast in; but your grace frees us to ask the right questions and live freer, more intentional lives. Make our gospel-bucket-list for us, Father. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ matchless and magnificent name.