By Chris WittsTuesday 27 May 2014Morning Devotions with Chris WittsCultureReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
The Beatles released their album “Rubber Soul” in December 1965 and sang out their ideas with compelling power for my generation. Perhaps it was clearest in John Lennon’s “Nowhere Man.”
He’s a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Doesn’t have a point of view
Knows not where he’s going to
Isn’t he a bit like you and me?
Is that true?
Many people know of the tragedy of the Titanic,it sinking in the Atlantic. You’ve seen films about it and read books about it, – how it left the shores of Southampton with all its passengers,on its way to the States,and everybody was just intoxicated with the wonder of technology and engineering,and the pleasure of what it was to wine and dine and enjoy the company of aristocrats – but all of a sudden something happened! They hit an iceberg,and in a moment they were turned from singing party songs to striking up in the band,’Nearer my God to Thee,Nearer to Thee’. What happened? The unseen broke into the seen. They began to see that everything that appeared to be was not necessarily what things were. James wrote “what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). The Message paraphrase puts it even more bluntly – “You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog,catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.”
Someone insightfully wrote,”First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now,I am dying…and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.”
You may be familiar with the lyrics from the song,”Be Unto Your Name.” The first verse of this praise song says .. :
“We are a moment,You are forever.
Lord of the ages,God before time.
We are a vapor,You are eternal.
Love everlasting,reigning on high.”
While it has been said millions of times,it remains true,”Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Beginning now,each of us can become more intentional about living our lives and impacting other people keeping their eternal destiny in mind.
Author Dr John Piper wrote a book in 2003 called “Don’t Waste your Life” – He said “Maybe you don’t care very much whether you make a lasting difference for the sake of something great. You just want people to like you. If people would just be good to you,you’d be satisfied. Or If you could just have a good job with a good wife,or husband,and a couple of good kids and a nice car and long weekends and a few good friends,a fun retirement,and a quick and easy death,and no hell-if you could have all that (even without God)-you would be satisfied. That is a tragedy in the making. A wasted life.”
Years ago,some Christians had an old plaque up on the kitchen or dining room wall that said “Only what’s done for Christ will last” May Jesus be the centre of our life today and always. He is the One who makes life truly worthwhile.