Being faced with death has an interesting way to get your attention and give you a different perspective of life.  I have asked these following questions more than I can count to people I have come in contact with.  “If you had one day to live and your life would be taken at the end of the day what would you do?  How would you plan your day?  What things would be on your agenda? ”  It seems easy enough to answer that question until you come face to face with the reality of that dilemma.

I was at the initial doctor that I visited for a follow-up on the stent that was put in.  He shocked me with the message that my LAD artery was not 99% blocked, but 99.5% blocked.  It doesn’t seem like much unless you are dealing with life and death.  He said I was living on borrowed time and told me that my wife was my savior in getting the help I needed before it was too late.  Let me ask you that question.  What would you invest your time in if you had one more day to live?  What things would you drop that you are presently doing?  How would you live your last day on earth?  What you choose to do the last day of your life becomes what is most important in your life.

For me, money was the least of my worries during this time.  I didn’t think about working more or having more clients come in.  I was not interested in buying anything, — period.  My only thought was seeking the Lord for guidance and spending time with the ones in my life whom I love.  God and others.  Nothing else.

Yet in our society, we seem to be exchanging the most important things in life for other things that we think will bring us happiness and fulfillment.  Striving for money seems to be a desire in our culture as we put it up on a pedestal and seek after more of it.  Withdrawing to secluded places that have beauty for rest and relaxation to take away our stress is another avenue that pops in the minds of those who walk around–vacationing.  Others think that getting the next car or next house, or more clothes will bring fulfillment to our lives–stuff.  The fact is, these things can bring temporary satisfaction, but the fulfillment wears off rather quickly and we find ourselves striving for more.  One of the richest men in the world was asked the question one time if he could have anything in the world, he replied, “One more dollar.”

We live in a society that seems to think that things will be the god that will ultimately satisfy.  But things, money, other places will pale in significance when your life is at stake.  Take my word for it.  I came across a passage where this message was being communicated to the nation of Israel.  “Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the LORD. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2:11-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬.

The Lord was speaking to the Israelite nation saying that they had made two mistakes.  The first mistake was forsaking the God who created all.  He is the source of live and living water, but they turned away from Him to other things.  The second mistake was depending upon themselves to provide for their lives, and not depending upon the God who is able.  Our plan to bring fulfillment to ourselves is broken and can never satisfy permanently.

On this journey, we only have one life to live.  It’s helpful to contemplate what we are seeking to bring fulfillment and change our vision before it is too late.