Age is relative. We think of folks in their twenties and consider them young. And, we think of older folks in their seventies, and consider them old, or at least on the back end of their life. But you can’t really qualify age with a number or a birthdate because if a 50-year-old lives until they are 100, they are actually, fairly young, and if a 30-year-old only makes it to 40, well, they should be considered old. That puts life into perspective, and should make us consider how we are living it.
Everyone’s journey will end in death. It is a strange reality when we think about how in this life, we are all on different paths, going down different roads, that ultimately lead to very different lives and lifestyles. But again, all those roads lead to the same reality, we die. Some will get there much sooner than others. A broken world of sin, and sickness that is bent on destruction and shows no prejudice, guarantees us of that. But others, well, many are simply blessed with an abundance of years, health, and safety as life continues strong.
Nobody really knows when their time is up. Sure, people may get an idea when walking through the agonizing suffering of a cruel disease. But for the most part, people don’t really consider death because as real as it is, we don’t want to believe that our journey here on this planet will one day, come to an end. But it will. We will eventually run out of tomorrows and there will be no more opportunities to accomplish our purpose and calling.
So many wasted years, and even more wasted moments. Meaningless conversations, idle talk, foolish joking all amounting to nothing substantial from a Kingdom perspective. Disagreements, arguments, who is right and who is wrong are often necessary, but absent the heart of Jesus, there is no victory in prevailing. I cringe when I think about how disappointed Jesus must be as we roll over so many hearts with our right to be right and our need to be heard. Jesus doesn’t care how right you are if you have no love.
Jesus doesn’t sit on His throne concerned about how many likes you have on your post. He really isn’t interested in how many followers you may have on Instagram or other social media. He doesn’t care how intellectual you may think you are and scoffs at the pride that follows such arrogance. He doesn’t care who wore it better and how well they wore it. When did we sink into this abyss of shallowness? I don’t want any of this to have room in my heart or take up space in my life.
For me, I want to leave this place empty. I want to be so emptied of myself that when I close my eyes and take that last breath I can say with all certainty, this was the race I ran with grit and endurance, and nothing got in my way. I want to be so depleted as an ambassador for Christ that I leave this life physically weak and poured out in every way possible. I want to display the heart of Jesus in everything I say and do. I want to be so purged of myself so every area of my life can be filled with the Holy Spirit empowering me; despite me being me.
I hate what I have wasted and mourn lost opportunities that have resulted from pride, ignorance, foolishness, a hardened heart or simply, laziness. Those have not place in the Kingdom and will not leave me depleted for Jesus but filled with myself and that is not how I want to leave. I want to pursue Jesus until she’s simply gone, and He is living in every area, corner, and crevasse of my life. When I transition from this life to meet Him face-to-face, I want to hear, “Now there is a mirror image of my Father.” I have a long way to go.
It’s a process. It is this ongoing, agonizing, difficult sanctification process that doesn’t end. But I’m in it for the long haul. Break me, empty me, crush me until I become a fine powder of all the evils of this world so that I can be filled with you, and poured out for others. Make me empty.