Three ways to make sure we don’t waste our lives

We have a lot of fun with our kids and grandkids. I mean, we have a lot of fun! But a few weeks ago during a Sunday morning sermon we were faced with a rather provocative question that I can’t seem to shake. The question is this: How many of you wake up thinking about your great-great-great grandparents? Hmm. Not me. I love learning about the history of my family and we have treasured items in our home from previous generations. There’s something “grounding” about it – knowing that a small trinket or piece of furniture that brought joy and function to the lives of our grandparents or great-grandparents is now bringing joy and function to ours.

Still, I don’t wake up thinking about my great-great-great grandparents. They loved their kids and grandkids just as much as we do. And I’m sure I would have loved knowing and spending time with them. They had fun together and worked together and celebrated together. And time marched on.

Time marches on.

It’s a bit sobering, really. Tim and I would like to believe that the memories we make with our kids and grandkids are unforgettable, but the day will come when they will be forgotten. And years are coming when nobody will wake up thinking about us either. It’s the reality of living in a mortal world – a reality that begs the question: What on earth are we doing here? What on earth WILL we do here?

King David is a Biblical icon who was an imperfect, broken, weird human who deeply loved God and was deeply loved by him. In Acts, Paul said that God, “raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my will.’ From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus.” (Acts 13:22-23) David was a king and the great-great-great-(insert dozens more) grandfather of Jesus! I mean that’s a big deal, right?

And yet history says, “David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed” (Acts 13:36). Pretty morbid. And pretty true. Ignoring the “morbid” destiny for our earthly bodies is a disservice to ourselves, to our families and, most of all, to the God who put us on this earth with purpose. In fact, the only lasting, immortal thing about that verse is that David served God’s purpose in his own generation.

Regardless of our career choices, the homes we live in, the success of our kids, or how much fun we have with our grandkids…the details of our existence will be forgotten. Period. Maybe not in five years or fifteen…but eventually we’ll be a dusty picture in a shoebox that nobody recognizes.

So, what do we say then? That it’s all just a waste? Of course not! Not if we intentionally seek to serve God’s purpose in our own generation.

We will always strive to have fun with our kids and grandkids, unapologetically. In fact, I believe God takes joy in it when we appreciate all he has given us and laugh together until we cry. The Bible says that having gladness of heart is a gift from him. So, holiday traditions and game nights and football games and days on the boat will be part of our lives as long as God allows. And I’m so thankful!

“When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them…this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”

Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

But if that’s where our story ends, then it will all just………end. And our lives will be a waste.

But if we (husband and wife/mom and dad/grandpa and grandma) intentionally and passionately seek to understand how we fit into the greater mission of God, then we will avoid the tragedy of a wasted life. Then, we will experience the treasure of making an eternal difference in the lives of our families.

Our great-great-great grandkids won’t wake up thinking about the moments that our family enjoys today, but (by the grace of God) they will be impacted by what we stood for – by who we stood for. Just like David, we are imperfect, broken, weird humans. We say bad words sometimes and enjoy drinks on the deck. We get irritated with each other, we slam doors, and we sleep-in some Sundays. But we are loved by a perfect Father, we are forgiven by his inconceivable grace, and we exist to praise him. When that becomes our focus, then a lasting impact is possible.

“But you are a chosen people…God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.”

1 Peter 2:9

After absorbing the truth of that Sunday morning sermon, Tim and I knew it was time to refocus. How will we make sure that we don’t waste our lives? How will we intentionally fit into God’s mission? The honest answer is that we’re not sure. But we do know that God promises to give us direction as we read his Word, enter his presence in prayer, and seek accountability.

Reading God’s Word *Together*

God’s Word promises to cut straight to our hearts…every time we read it. It is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Though we read scripture independently, it’s so important that we commit to reading it *together* daily….expecting him show us how we are designed to contribute to his eternal mission. As we lean in to Biblical history and study the impact of others, I believe we’ll be inspired and motivated. More than that, our hearts will be convicted to move away from anything that is futile and toward things that make an eternal difference.

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to without watering the earth, making it bud and flourish…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11

The plan we’re using is the 121 day, Biographical Bible Reading Plan found at BibleGateway.com. We can simply click-and-read online or use this quick-reference PDF that I created…with checkboxes. Because, I love checkboxes.

Praying *Together*

This is admittedly a tough one. We pray for our adult kids with a group of great friends, we pray alone, we pray before meals, and I pray for our church with a group of ladies. We pray. But we don’t have a habit of praying together. That’s about to change.

To help us get started (sounds terrible that we need “help” but that’s the truth) we’ll use our Biographical Readings as a guide. What qualities do we recognize in each Biblical person that we want to emulate in our own lives? What qualities do we need to guard against? What help do we need from God? From each other? These questions will help to focus our prayer time.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

Continually Evaluating Our Impact

Finally, we’ve agreed to keep each other accountable by asking the following questions at the start of each month:

• Over the past month, how have our lives contributed to God’s eternal mission?
• What have we done over the past month to shine the light of Jesus into the lives of our kids and grandkids? And what opportunties might we have missed?
• How have our words and actions over the past month honored the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? How can we improve on this next month?

The transparent, honest answers to these questions will reveal our victories and areas where we have fallen short, and give us a clear idea of what we need to change moving forward.

“You cannot solve a problem until you acknowledge that you have one and accept responsibility for solving it.”

Zig Ziglar

The sermon that inspired us to make some changes:

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