As Paul finished his letter to the Galatians he said, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Gal. 6:10). Life has many opportunities to serve the Lord by serving others but time passes fast and we can miss those chances.
If life is like a day on the clock (6 AM to 10 PM) then what time is it for you? If you are 25 then it is already almost noon. By the time you are 40 it is 3 PM and if you are 55 it is 7 PM. If you are 65 it is almost bed time. This is based on the biblical average life of 70 years. "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away." (Psa_90:10). Americans might make it a little longer due to good health care...but not a lot longer.
This week Dr. Al Mohler spoke about an article by Pagan Kennedy entitled "No Magic Pill Will Get You to 100". We all pretty much die right on time in spite of longevity diets, vitamins, exercise and things like that. Those who invent the diets die too. In the 1930's a Dr. McCay tested a diet on rats that he also followed and thought would double the life spans. "Though trim and athletic, he had two strokes and died at 69." A Dr. Walford also had a low calorie diet that he thought would get you to 120. He wrote a work entitled the 120 Year Diet but he died at a fairly young age too. Nutritionist, Adelle Davis, warned of the dangers of refined foods, but she died of cancer at 70. The doctor who invented the high fat Atkins diet also died early.
The Kennedy tells a really interesting story. "Then there is a Jerome Rodale, founder of the publishing empire dedicated to health. In 1971, Dick Cavett invited Mr. Rodale onto his TV show... Mr. Rodale then age 72, took his chair next to Mr. Cavett and then proclaimed that he would live to be 100. And then within seconds, he made a snoring sound and died." "We are then told that the recorded episode never aired." said Al Mohler.
We all die on time, God's time. We might make it to 70 or 80 "by strength" but we still die. Why? Because "...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgement,..." (Heb. 9:27b). Therefore, let us be thankful for the Gospel and heed Paul's call to serve the body of Christ and others. How are you doing on the clock? I am over 70 but still ticking thankfully. With that I think I'll have a cookie and some coffee and work a little longer tonight.
Pastor Mark