“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14 NIV)
One of the cable channels I have on my service is called “Shorts TV.” The channel broadcast short films of various genres. Stories are compacted in very few minutes. I usually go right by this channel it as I surf through viewing options. When I say, “go right through,” I mean faster than a spouse will change the channel when she gets to a NBA game.
Last night was different. There was a short film produced by a young Black man who was recently awarded an Oscar for his work. Intrigued, I stayed right there. The film was about the story of Emmett Till’s horrible fate as described by his uncle. It immediately caught my attention and it added to my understanding of the circumstances that led to the unjust killing of Emmett Till.
The impact on me went beyond Black History and the need for countless untold stories that need to be told. I thought of the need for progress to continue in regard to race relations in the United States of America or perhaps the urgent need to reverse the seemingly trend to return to the days when inequality was at an unbearable level.
That’s not all I thought about! The word “Short” stood out. First I though about the shortness of a young Black man’s life that came to soon. Second, because of the word “short,” I thought about the brevity of life. It is like a mist, a vapor, that appears for a little while and then vanishes. That caused me to think about how you and I must make the most of our time.
So that the last expression in the sentence immediately above won’t come across as just a mere, general statement, let me be specific. We need to make the most of our time in every interaction we engage in, representing the Christ in all of our interactions. We need to make the most of our time in doing good, pleasing the Lord our God who looks upon us from above. We need to make the most of our time, even on our jobs, striving to exceed the expectations that are made for us; being accountable workers every minute for which we are paid. Am I being specific enough? Let me continue. We need to make the most of our time when an opportunity to do some personal evangelism is right before us. We need to spend our time living out the principles of love, forgiveness, and quick reconciliation. We need to spend out time being faithful in prayer, study, and fellowship. Let me make the latter even more simple. We need to spend our time simply being faithful.
I’m not sure where I heard this, but it went something like this: “If somebody needs a visit, visit. If somebody needs a call, call.” Enough said, right? You get it, right? Today, you are going to make the most of our time, right? Be blessed!
“Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!” (Ephesians 5:11-16 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King