Benjamin Franklin made some keen observations about life and how to get the most out of it. He said, “Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made out of.” Squander, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “to spend extravagantly or foolishly; to lose (something, such as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction.” Most Christians would profit by heeding Franklin’s adage. Consider with me the following biblical observations about life. Scripture says a person’s life is as fleeting as a vapor, as momentary as a puff of smoke, and as brief as a gust of wind. Our years “pass by like swift ships, like an eagle swooping on its prey” (Job 9:26). Before you realize it, your life will be over. Will you have spent it wisely or foolishly? “LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. (Psalm 39:4). In addition to our use of the financial resources God puts into our hands, we will also give an account of the spiritual opportunities he has entrusted to us. Paul reminds us that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are “stewards of the mysteries of God.” As such, we must faithfully proclaim the good news of the Gospel (1 Cor. 4:1-2). Are we taking full advantage of the “open doors” God gives us to witness to our family, friends, and neighbors? May we pray along with the apostle, "that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19). Think for a moment. Have you been squandering some of the precious life God has entrusted to you? Ask him to help you make full use of each opportunity to share your faith in Christ.

The Christian life is an uphill struggle from beginning to end. One area that is especially challenging is learning to give. The believer has eternal life because God the Father gave his Son on Calvary for our sins. Following that example, the child of God must lay aside personal desires and ambitions and focus on the needs of others. One way to do that is through spiritual, systematic, sacrificial, and surprise giving. Spiritual Giving: The first thing that God asks us to give is our heart. Without spiritual surrender, all other giving will be strained at best. The believers in Macedonia understood this. Paul said that before they gave anything in the offering, they gave themselves to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:1-5). He urged the Christians in Rome to make a living offering to God, that is, their “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). My heart must be right with God before he will accept my gifts. Systematic Giving: Having examined my heart, the next step is to establish a pattern. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find God’s people giving periodically to the Lord. They came weekly, monthly, and yearly out of love and obedience. They gave tithes of their income and offerings out of their abundance. You and I must be just as scrupulous in our giving to our faithful and gracious Father. Sacrificial Giving: However, our devotion must go beyond bare duty. Our gracious God spared no expense when he offered his Son on the cross as payment for our sin (Rom. 8:32). How can we do less? David declared that he would not offer to the Lord cheap, convenient offerings. He would make sacrifices worthy of the God of Israel (2 Sam. 24:24). May we have the same sacrificial spirit in our giving. Surprise Giving: Lastly, there are times when we receive unexpected gifts when we have no immediate personal use for them. Perhaps the Lord would have you pass it on to others who are in greater need. Ask God to give you a discerning spirit and a generous heart as you seek “to abound in this grace also” (2 Cor. 8:7).

We live in a fallen world that runs contrary to all that is godly and righteous. The Christian who wants to please God knows this all too well. We are confronted with opportunities and invitations to disobey Scripture and grieve the Spirit at every turn. We can’t get through a single day without failing in some way. Human relationships are a case in point. They are fragile and easily broken. When offenses come into our lives, most of us find it difficult to forgive and forget. We keep the wound open, and over time, it becomes infected with bitterness and resentment. There are other situations where we are the offender. We have done wrong to another person through sharp words and/or hurtful actions. In either case, it is difficult to repair the relationship completely. Humility, confession, and forgiveness are the key ingredients to reconciliation. When it comes to your relationship with God, it is even more complicated. He is not someone you see occasionally, and you can adjust your behavior accordingly. On the contrary, we live every moment of our lives in his presence, and he knows every thought, word, and deed. The offenses are almost continual. Psalm 139:1-6 describes God’s complete knowledge of our lives. It says that the Lord knows what we will say and do even before it takes place. How can we ever hope to be right with God and walk in fellowship with him? The Old Testament prophet Daniel gives us hope. He says, “To the Lord, our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him” (Dan. 9:9). Even though we repeatedly rebel against our loving heavenly Father, he still offers us mercy and forgiveness. How is this possible? It is possible because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, laid down his life as payment for the sins we have committed. It is because of that payment that he can make the following offer to all: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). There is mercy and forgiveness for all because the Lord our God is faithful and just. 

One of the ways you can show how much you care about a person is to let them know your feelings through personal communication. Whether it’s a phone call, a text message, a handwritten note, or a face-to-face meeting, personal communication goes a long way toward creating a bond between individuals. If human communication has that effect on us, how much more should divine communication affect us? The Bible tells us that God has communicated with us in three ways. He has spoken to us through his works of creation, through his word recorded in Scripture, and through the living Word, Jesus Christ. First, God spoke to us through creation. Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.” The following verses describe how all the earth's inhabitants are witnesses to our Creator's power and majesty. Second, God spoke to us through his inspired Word. The Bible is God’s perfect record of everything we need to know to have a home in heaven and to live a godly life on earth (2 Peter 1:3). The apostle Paul affirmed this when he said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Third, God spoke to us through the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3). He revealed the Father to us through his sinless life. He made access to the Father possible through his substitutionary death on the cross. All who repent of sin and trust him as their Savior will have eternal life (1 John 5:13). God has told us how much he loves us through creation, Scripture, and Calvary. Have you responded to all his attempts to get your attention? If not, why not do so today? He’s waiting for you to respond.

When I was in college, there was a sign on the inside of the door of my dorm room with a list of helpful suggestions for college life. One of those sayings was, “In life, you will have to learn to get along with people, and this room is a good place to start.” I must confess that I didn’t always reach that goal as a student. Even today, it is easier said than done. It is challenging to get along with people, Christian or not. Most of us experience friction to one degree or another at home, at church, or at work. The apostle Paul told the believers in Rome to make every effort to eliminate friction between them. He said, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). That is a noble goal, but how can we achieve it? Some would place the blame elsewhere: their spouse, their children, their parents, their boss, or the insufferable neighbor. If those people would just change their ways and behave themselves, we could all live in peace. However, Scripture tells us that the problem comes from within our hearts, not so much from difficult people or circumstances. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul challenges Christians to model their character and lifestyle after the Lord Jesus Christ. This involves removing all that displeases God from my life and putting godliness in its place. Paul’s list includes compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forgiveness, and love (Colossians 3:12-14). Notice that it all has to do with my attitude toward others. Notice, too, that this describes the spirit of our Savior. Paul says that if I interact with others with a Christ-like spirit, there will be peace among all parties (3:15). It’s not about changing others; it’s about changing me. If you long to “live peaceably,” ask God to give you the strength and grace to change. Ask him to help you practice radical repentance to remove all that dishonors your Father and that offends your brother/sister (Matthew 5:29-30). Soon you will be able to say with the psalmist, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)!

Life can be intimidating even for the strongest among us. The uncertainties and perplexities of tomorrow tend to rob us of joy and hope to the point of spiritual paralysis. Of course, the devil takes great pleasure in such a dilemma. He knows that a fearful Christian is a defeated Christian. But this is not the end of the story. Scripture makes it clear that, while we are all mortal because of sin, God offers immortality to all through faith in Christ. Mortality : Physically, there was a day when we arrived on this earth, and there will be a day when we leave. All of us are mortal, that is, subject to physical death. Why is that? The Bible teaches that, since Adam and Eve chose to disobey, all of us stand guilty before a holy God. One of the results of sin is that physical death has been the experience of everyone since the beginning of time (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12). No matter the lifestyle, diet, or exercise routine we choose, death will claim all of us sooner or later. In addition, all of us are spiritually separated from God due to our sinful nature and our sinful actions. This is not encouraging news, but these are the facts, and we must act accordingly. Immortality : On the other hand, God is immortal. He had no beginning, and he has no end. He is eternal. Scripture teaches that he made us and that he has compassion for our mortal condition. He does not want anyone to leave this earth still separated from him because of their sin (1 Tim. 2:4). And because he loves us, he has provided a way for us to live eternally with him. How is that possible? It is possible through faith in Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus died on the cross, to suffer the punishment for our sin. The Bible says that anyone who will admit their sinfulness to God, turn from it (repent), and trust Jesus as their Savior, will have eternal life (John 20:31; Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 5:11). Will you receive God’s gift of immortality through faith in Christ?

Life is not a series of clear days full of sunshine and pleasing temperatures. Despite modern meteorology, the weather is variable and unpredictable. A cloud burst appears out of nowhere and sends the picnickers scurrying for cover. A snowstorm leaves the roads impassable, forcing everyone indoors. A heatwave sends the temperatures soaring and threatens the lives of young and old alike. Each of these situations is out of our control and can leave us feeling helpless and at the mercy of the forces of nature. However, the believer in Jesus Christ knows that life is not a series of random events. And when God brings storms into our lives, it is always for our good and his glory. These storms will appear in many different shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it will be the cloudburst that catches even the local weather service off guard. A car accident, a broken washing machine, or being laid off from work are not things we can foresee. Yet, God, in his wisdom, brings these situations into our lives according to his purposes. When the storms of life come upon us, the Lord encourages us with the promises of his Word. The prophet Isaiah assures us that God is “a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat” (Isa. 25:4). The apostle Paul learned that God’s grace is always sufficient in every situation, no matter how desperate it may seem now (2 Cor. 12:9). Peter relied upon the multifaceted grace of God to meet his needs in life and ministry (1 Pet. 4:10). Regardless of the personal storm, God has brought into your life today, trust his wisdom and rely upon his grace to get through. And be quick to give him the glory.