The Psalmists reminded us about the length of one’s life span: “The years of our life are seventy, or even
by reason of strength eighty…” (Psalms 90:10a ESV). Someone has calculated
how a typical lifespan of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate:
Sleep................23
years...........32.9%
Work.................16 years...........22.8%
TV....................8 years...........11.4%
Eating................6 years............8.6%
Travel................6 years............8.6%
Leisure.............4.5 years............6.5%
Illness...............4 years............5.7%
Dressing..............2 years............2.8%
Religion............0.5 years............0.7%
Work.................16 years...........22.8%
TV....................8 years...........11.4%
Eating................6 years............8.6%
Travel................6 years............8.6%
Leisure.............4.5 years............6.5%
Illness...............4 years............5.7%
Dressing..............2 years............2.8%
Religion............0.5 years............0.7%
Total................70
years............100% (Our Daily Bread)
Looking at what the Scriptures says about life span, there are
important reminders to remember. In James 4:14 ESV,
we are reminded about the brevity or shortness of life: “Yet you do not know
what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears
for a little time and then vanishes.” It is also confirmed by the Psalmist: “….they are soon gone, and we fly away”
(Psalms 90:10c). But one observation that the Psalmist significantly described
is this: “…yet their span is but toil and
trouble…” (Psalms 90:10b).
It seems that many in living their life are in agreement with this
statement of Richard L. Evans that causes many to lose vitality in living life:
“The tragedy of life is not that it ends
so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” In order to avoid this
tragedy, we need to take heed on what God prescribed for us to do. Allow me to
provide some biblical mandates and promises in living life to the fullest:
- “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all
these things (things that we need in
life) shall be added unto you. Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.” (Matthew 6:33-34, italics mine)
- “Come to me, all who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and
learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
King Solomon, when asked by God what he wanted in life with an offer
of a “carte blanche” (permission to do
something in any way you choose to do it-Merriam Webster Dictionary), he
did not take time to think about what he wanted but knew exactly what he needed
to have: At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you….Give
your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may
discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great
people?” (I Kings 3:5, 9 ESV) After hearing King Solomon’s response to His
offer, God was pleased and added more than what He asked for: It pleased the Lord that Solomon had
asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not
asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have
asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do
according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind,
so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after
you. I give you also what you
have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall
compare with you, all your days. And
if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your
father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” (1 Kings 3:10-14 ESV)
What one lesson can we learn from this? We must choose and decide to
walk in His ways and keep His statutes and commandments that He prescribed for
us to follow. When we do, God will lengthen our days and everything else that
follows are all secondary to it. I
believe that a Swedish
Proverb excellently summarized what God wanted for us to attain in our life: “Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good
things will be yours.” And after all is said and done, here’s an important
reminder for us to remember in living our life to the fullest, as someone said: “Let your life be like a snowflake which
leaves a mark but not a stain.”
Let’s talk again!
