An Extra Day, Every Day

     A few days ago I was having a particularly unproductive day in both industriousness and Kingdom work, being sidetracked for hours by a meaningless task. It was one of those times when I set out to do something for just a little while, I'll just do this for an hour or so and then I'll have God time and finish up the stuff I need to do. Before I knew it, half the day had passed and I was exhausted by the time I had realized what I had done. I'm sorry Lord, I'll start fresh tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll do better, I prayed. And then I heard that unmistakable still, small voice and He replied to me, Who said there was going to be a tomorrow?
    
     That's when it hit me, that old idiom I hear from the Church and the secular world alike: live every day like it's your last. Of course, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, it doesn't translate to the self-seeking, self-gratifying, self-indulgent tone the world (and probably a good deal of the Church) pursues in seeking this sentiment. But the sentiment still applies, and in fact more pertinently applies, to us followers of Christ.
    
      There are a few things we can be certain of as believers: 1) Time is in God's hands (Psalm 31: 14-15); 2) God has the power to give, and to take away (Job 1:21); 3) Death is certain (Ecc 9:11); Life is short (James 4:14-17); and, at the end of it all, we will have to account for how we spent our time (Hebrews 9:27). In light of these things, how should we as believers spend our days?


Be Ready

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." Matthew 25:13 (NKJV)


     If tomorrow never comes, you have to ask yourself, will I be ready? The first, most significant, question that derives from this is the question of your salvation. Are you sure where you will go if today is your last? If you are not certain of your salvation, I would urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to seek the counsel of a Christian authority on where to go from there. I cannot emphasize the importance of that enough. However, I presume that of the handful of people who may happen to read this, most have already answered that question but rest assured, while this is the most important question you should know the answer to there are several more that are worth consideration.
    
      In asking will I be ready? you must also consider the thought, if this is the last day that I have to further the Kingdom of God how are my actions accomplishing that? Am I furthering the Kingdom with any significance at all? Am I doing anything that is furthering the Kingdom at all? If today is my last day, am I finishing well? Can I look into my Savior's eyes and say to Him, "I spent my last hours honoring and serving You"?
    
     Are the things I am investing in today, things that will last throughout eternity? Will the hours I invest in material acquisition, self-congratulation, or pursuing entertainment last after I am gone? Will they last even beyond today? Is investing in the future a wise decision when I am not guaranteed there will be a tomorrow? What does the way I'm living today say about where I store my treasure- is it indicative of someone who thinks their treasure is here on Earth or someone who thinks their treasure lies in Heaven?
    
     To be ready is to be confident of where you are going and that when you get there you can tell your Maker with confidence that in those final hours you sought and persevered to glorify Him instead of yourself or the world. If today was your last day, would you be ready?



If Today is My Last

"His lord said to him, 'Well [done], good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)


     I think every Christian dreams of God Almighty uttering these words to them on Judgment Day. I know I do. But if we're being honest with ourselves, would our lives warrant this praise? In many ways, I'd say that our final hours will be a testament to our entire lives, and even if that were not true these hours, whether they are our final or not, are the only ones we have any control over. So, what would I want my last day to look like, and consequently if I viewed every day as my last, what I would want every day of my life to look like?

     I would want it to be a day that I practiced repentance: "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." Luke 15:7 (NKJV) By faith we accept Christ as our Savior, repentance is the action of that faith. To repent is to acknowledge and separate oneself from sin. Not only do I want my faith to be seen in action through repentance, I also would deeply regret that I spent my last hours partaking in anything that kept me from the glory of God and accomplishing His will, which is the very definition of sin. This is why Jesus says that Heaven is overjoyed by the one who repents and anything Heaven gets overjoyed about, I want to be a part of. That's not to say that any day, my last day or not, will be without fault- that is why I need the saving Grace of Christ. But in the striving of my days, I would hope to practice repentance to the best of my ability with the help of grace.

     I would want it to be a day that I obeyed God and did well with the resources He gave me. As Christ explains in Matthew 25, each will be judged on how they stewarded the resources they were given. For some those resources may be great, for others the resources may be minimal, but no matter the size or impact of those resources each will be accountable to what they did with them. This would apply in the case of physical blessings: I would want my last day to be a God-glorifying use of the income, home, education, health and any other physical resource He would see fit to bless me with. These are, after all, His to begin with. In like manner, I would hope my last day would be one in which I also used the spiritual gifts and fruits of His Spirit in a way that would honor and glorify Him. By saying this, I would like to emphasize that no matter what the Lord has called me to do that day, or any day, that I would be obedient. In promoting the “live every day as if it’s your last” sentiment, there is a tendency to suggest that you will change the world in that one day, that you will have a massive impact because you know it’s your last chance to make a lasting impact for the Kingdom. While I can appreciate this sentiment, I would like to live in the knowledge that anything the Lord has called me to do on that day is worth doing, even if it doesn’t have the impact I would like it to. Whether it is a big ripple, or a small one, each propels the current of the movement of God’s Kingdom.

      I would want it to be a day that I risked everything for God; that I was completely sold out for Him; that I suffered and sweated, and praised Him and persevered nonetheless. I would want it to be a day that I didn’t worry about what the potential consequences that my behavior today would have on tomorrow. In that, that which seems like a crazy idea to me prompted by the Holy Spirit, I can fully embrace because I may not be here tomorrow to take the opportunity and if I am, He will provide. If I’m going to have to account for my final day, for all my days, I want to say- I did it all for you God. Even when I didn’t get it. Even when it was hard. Even when I was fearful. I did it without regret because I trusted You alone. I made the most of my time, because just as money and spiritual gifts are resources I need to steward well, so too is time and it’s a blessing I will not take advantage of; it’s a blessing I will not throw away.


I Don’t Have Time for This

      I don’t know if today is my last day. No one knows such things. But on this day when we’re given an “extra day”, I’m reminded that every day is an extra day. There are far too many days when I take for granted there will be a tomorrow. But if tomorrow should never come there are some things I do know: life is fleeting- but there is permanence in my heavenly home of which I have assurance. So, while I am on this Earth of which I have no certainty of permanence, I’m reminded that I don’t have time to live in the past- to dwell in self-pity. I don’t have time to be a chicken. I don’t have time to not spend it with my God. I don’t have time to pursue that which is worthless and is not lasting. I don’t have time not to love. I don’t have time to withhold grace. I don’t have time not to be the hands and feet of Christ. I don’t have time not to live-for Him.

   

An Introduction

A person's walk with God is a funny thing. Turns out it's often radically different than what we hear at the altar call. When someone walks intimately with God, it's often difficult, trying, and certainly all encompassing. There are times of favor, of dryness, of conviction. We are running the race, and while for some it is a sprint, for most of us it's a marathon and with that comes trial, pain, promise, and victory. There are seasons of overwhelming joy and times of loss, but through it all we know that He is in control and that it's a journey worth taking.

It's not always easy. It's not always pretty. It is always good. The title of the blog comes from Hosea 2: 14- 20:

"Israel, I, the Lord, will lure you into the desert and speak gently to you. I will return your vineyards, and then Trouble Valley will become Hopeful Valley. You will say "Yes" to me as you did in your youth, when leaving Egypt. I promise that from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master. I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called "Master." And I will agree to let you live in peace- you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am." (CEV)

This is sort of my life verse. The Lord always leads me to it when He has something to say and every time I think I've figured out what He means by it, He shows me something completely different through it. The idea is universal, though, isn't it? We are all moving away from that Trouble Valley- the valley of our former selves, the valley of our sin and failings; and moving toward Hopeful Valley- the valley of His promises and redemption. Truthfully, I, like so many others I imagine, am terribly mal-adjusted to Hopeful Valley. Who knew that goodness and love could be so hard to take? Who knew it'd be so hard to trust and hope in an all knowing, all powerful God of perfect love? But the promise is true and it's waiting for me, and for anyone else who might take up the journey- restoration is for you, providence is for you, protection is for you, true love is for you, God is for you.

So, this is my attempt to document some of my walk with God in an effort that it might encourage and testify. I hope that my struggles, my failings, and my stumblings would show that being a believer is very real and often hard, but that His grace is not only worth it but is exalted in my weakness. This is my hope. This is my prayer. This is my life. This is my journey to Hopeful Valley.