Thought for the Day - Sad days because of sad news focus the mind
After a great visit with my Mum and other family, a wonderful time of showing her where I live and her saying, “Wow, now I know what you are talking about”, life threw a wee spanner into my joy, writes Rev Jon Bergen.
It brought me to a quick halt and a few tears frae the glass eye.
It was a case of one week celebrating living life to finding out that a very dear Scottish friend had passed away due to cancer, which was a bit of a show stopper in my life.
The hard part was that despite the wonderful relationship with these friends, life got busy and we hadn’t chatted for some time, the news came as a shock and way too many months since the actual event.
My heart broke as the reality of death once again washes over my spirit and leaves an empty place in my heart.
As I think of life and the journey it takes us on, the book of James comes very much to the forefront of my mind as I read: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; 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. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13–15)
The reality that our lives are short and that we need to make the best use of them matters.
But, also, so does the reminder that it is not about what we do for ourselves, but in light of eternity that matters.
I have in recent days talked to a couple of folk that are well off, their lives have been more than mere prosperity.
One guy lamented that though he had more than he can spend in the rest of his life, he is still not happy, still not joyful, nor fulfilled in the things he has done or the stuff that he has accumulated.
Another guy reflected that what makes his life worthwhile is not the stuff or the bank account, but rather the part about living the Lord’s will.
How will we evaluate our lives at the end of our days? Will we have lived a plan or God’s will?
Rev Jon Bergen is the former pastor at Brechin Baptist Church, and is currently pastor of Seeley Lake Baptist Church in Seeley Lake, Montana, USA.