Drivers Education

So the other day I was so encouraged when I read the story of Stan's sudden and unexpected death. . . encouraged knowing that even in death we can be a light and example to the world around us. Francis Chan isn't the only one who feels like life's fragility should motivate us to live with the right perspective. Paul talks about this same thing in Romans 13.

"Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,
because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

I don't know when my time here on earth is up. It may come suddenly and prematurely, or it may come in my sleep when I'm 94. Either way, it is a short blip on the screen of eternity. So what am I going to do with the time that I have here? It is so easy to get wrapped up in the drama of friends, school, work, family, and politics. It is so easy to let Jesus take the back seat while we fill our days with 'bigger' priorities.

I don't want to stand before God in heaven and have to admit that I wasted the precious time he gave me here on earth. I don't want to look back at the story of my life and realize that it was all about me. I long for it to be all about Him. All about living his example, sharing his love, teaching his story, and following his call.

The hour has come for me to wake up from my sleep, because Jesus is coming back sooner than I might think, and the day when I stand before God to give an account of my life is nearer than it might feel. Today I choose to live in such a way that he would be proud. Today I choose to put on the armor of light and let Jesus hold the steering wheel; after all, he knows the path much better than I.