Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there
and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life
will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and
then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall have
and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such
boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not
do it, to him it is sin. James 4:13-17, NASV
Ah, the brevity of life! The brevity of life is a “timeless” topic! The author
of the above scripture died centuries ago. He inspired many to write about the
obvious! Life spans did not begin being brief in the last few generations—they
always have been brief!
The deceit: “The brevity of life is just a matter of perspective.” At 15, life
is agonizingly slow. At 25, life is timeless. At 40, you need to slow down long
enough to at least be aware that life is whizzing by. Then the births of
grandchildren make you admit you are “that” old. Then opportunities diminish.
Then you look at an old man in the mirror shaving—and it is you! Then energy
fails as you cannot do what you used to do. A secret: never tell a 95-year-old
(or older) that life is not brief! (Unless you enjoy being humiliated by
laughter!)
The truth: “Time passes fast regardless of age or arrogance.” No matter your
age, you never have time to waste. Regretting the past use of time is a common
plight of living.
Consider some things to think about. Wisdom can result from accurate
perspective, too!
David Chadwell
Link to other Writings of David Chadwell