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.