Making the Most of What We Have

Psalms 90:10-12 (KJV)
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
[11]Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
[12]So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

This passage reminds me to focus on what is important, because my days journeying on this earth are few. What is important you may ask? I am learning that I am a very simple person and that Matthew 22:37-40 sums up what I focus on: Love God and love others. How do I love God and others? John 14:15 answers the first part: I must learn and live God’s word. John 15:9-17 not only repeats walking in God’s word, but tells us to lay down our lives for one another – we show love to others like Christ showed love to us.

Jesus gave up His life for us so that we may be restored unto the Father. He knows the temptations we face (Hebrews 4:15) and still encourages us to put others first (Philippians 2:4). This is no easy task, but trusting in God is a great place to start. I try to stay focused (I did say try – not quite batting 100 right now) on what is important: Loving God (Learning the Word; Living the Word) and loving others (Teaching the Word; Preaching the Word) – Knowing Jesus and walking with Jesus. Daily submitting to Jesus through His word. Avoiding arguments and debates that distract from God’s word and gently restore those that deviate from His word (2 Timothy 2:14-26; Titus 3:1-3; Titus 3:9-11) in order that there may be repentance or salvation (1 Corinthians 10:23-33).

I encourage you (and myself) to take up Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians:

Philippians 3:7-16 (HCSB)
[7] But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. [8] More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ — the righteousness from God based on faith. [10] My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, [11] assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
[12] Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, [14] I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. [15] Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you also. [16] In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.