Living with Urgency
Twitter is an easy whipping post for criticism. Algorithms, technological manipulation, and censorship aside, the website merely magnifies what already exists in every human heart. Twitter reveals the gossip, backbiting, complaining, innuendo and slander that typify human speech. The internet allows everyone to be privy to these kinds of conversations. Even so, I find many useful things on Twitter. One of my favorite accounts on Twitter is an account called the daily death reminder. Each day this account posts the following words: “You will die someday.” That’s it. What possible value could that be?
Allow me to explain. There is nothing like a great dose of reality to put things in perspective for you. Generally, we human beings presume our immortality. Not many people live with urgency. We presume that we will have tomorrow. Tomorrow is never a given. If it comes, tomorrow is a gift.
The other day I ran across this Scripture in 2 Samuel 14:14, “We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.” If that doesn’t give you a picture of the brevity of life I don’t know what will. This illustration sticks with me especially because it hasn’t rained in about 96 months. The ground is dry.
A few days ago I went to water our garden. As I poured the water out it was like the parched ground swallowed up every single drop of water. 2 Samuel 14:14 explains that this is what each moment of your life is like.
Practically, if we understand 2 Samuel 14:14, we will be motivated to live differently. First, I believe this gives an urgency to life. I will never get this moment back. I want to make a difference. I want to do things that will outlast me and impact generations for Christ. Second, I think this reminds us of the stewardship of our time. The idea of wasting or killing time seems so foolish in light of 2 Samuel 14:14. My prayer today is “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).