Priority and Perspective
– From Becoming A Fulfilled Father by Joyce Meyer
James 4:14
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Psalms 90:10-12
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
I Timothy 6:6
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Talk It Over
Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?
We will spend time with Nehemiah. Before we do, let’s do a quick exercise. Imagine you are on your deathbed. You knew this day was coming. The doctors said it will be just a short time now. There is nothing more they can do. Knowing this life will soon be over, you begin to sink. You stare blankly for a time, then begin reflecting. You pose several introspective questions. A flood of emotion envelops you. “Why this overwhelming emotion?” you wonder.
You search for the source of your deepening heartache. Then, you pinpoint it. You are bothered by this question, “Did my life as a father really matter?”
Now, consider this emotional scene. In it, are you wearing a contented smile as you look back on a life built on sharing things that are timeless, meaningful and eternal? Or, are you lying in a bed of regret knowing you lived for misguided, incomplete reasons and realize there is nothing you can do to regain those days? This instant clarity gives you little comfort.
Where will your thoughts take you on that day? Will you delight in contented remembering or suffocate from claustrophobic regret?
Chances are, God is already spurring you toward that full, contented life. The question is, “What next?” What can you be doing now to be certain you will rest contented as a father and the leader of your family?