Thought for the Month - October 2011

"Temporary vs. Forever" By Mark Donnell

A survey that asked thousands of people what kept them from knowing and loving God better had a very clear number one answer - "I'm too busy". Most of us have busy days, stuffed with too much activity such that spending time on the things that really matter doesn't always happen. For some strange reason we believe we'll get around to what really matters 'when things settle down'. The belief is usually that in anything up to 6 months time, things will be different. There'll be more time.

Can I afford to wait 6 months, only to realise it'll be another 6 months before things settle down?

I have always found the bible verse in James Chapter 4 verse 14 very challenging… "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes".

Wow! That doesn't sound like much time. So if I'm appearing on earth for just a short time, maybe I should concentrate on things that will last, not just in my lifetime, but beyond my lifetime… is that possible? The interesting thing is that we can have an impact on things that are beyond our lifetime - we can be part of something that will last forever.

First of all taking ourselves, we need to give our lives to God, and let Him make us into the person He wants us to be. That means I need to make some time in my day to allow God to do His thing with me. If I have a packed day of my stuff, how can I be doing the things God wants? God wants us to be doing the things in life that will count 'Forever', not the things that are 'Temporary', and that starts with us giving control of our lives to Him and receiving from Him a life that will last forever.

So how do I really live for God? Here's a practical challenge. In your imagination (or it might be helpful for you to do this in real life?), take a pad of self-adhesive notes and write "TEMPORARY on each one. Walk around and attach them everywhere you need to be reminded. Put one on your car. Put one on the front door of your house. Put TEMPORARY stickers on each piece of furniture. Put one on the front of your chequebook. Stick them on all the clothes in your wardrobe. Put them on your iPod, and on the TV, and on the treadmill, and on the barbeque, and on the golf trolley. Then take another set of self-adhesive notes and write "ETERNAL". Put them on your family. Put them on your friends. Put them on your neighbours. Put one on your boss. Put one on the stranger behind the counter. Put one on the person you most dislike in the world.

People are what matter to God and that should matter to us. In the Bible there is a story of a man who thought that things were what mattered (Luke 12:16-21). If only he had plastered it on his barns and crops… Temporary, Temporary, Temporary, Temporary, Temporary, Temporary, Temporary.

Every day God is saying, "Just let me use you today!"

Start today to make that time for God and let Him use you to make a difference that will last beyond your lifetime and mine… a difference in people's lives that will last forever.

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!