I spent my birthday this year at a conference with my husband and some friends. At the end of the conference, I enjoyed taking some time to talk with an acquaintance that is a year younger than I am. As we chatted, he said, “The older I get, the more I realize I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish by now.” Then he wistfully remarked, “I may never accomplish it.”
His comment reminded me that as I age, I inch toward death. And the truth is, I will never be all I dreamed of becoming in this life. Life has a way of upending and preventing some of our heartfelt aspirations. Even if we live past the age of seventy, most of us will not have enough time, resources, or energy to do everything we want to do. And if allowed to fester, these realities about the brevity and limits of life can elicit a deep and pervasive sorrow the older we get.
But thankfully, believers in Jesus can rejoice in the knowledge that this life is all about relationship, not accomplishment. In John 11:25 Jesus tells us, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” I may not do all the things I’d like to during my days here on earth. Yet death doesn’t finish us off. You and I, each of us, are God’s works of art—masterpieces of His making (Ephesians 2:10). He loves us passionately (1 John 3:1). So make no mistake, God will complete His purposes for me and you and the entire church (Philippians 1:6). As John wrote, “We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears” (1 John 3:2).
In His perfect timing, God will reveal what we are to become!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 32:1-29
More:
Read Zephaniah 3:17 and reflect on this truth: You are God’s child, His work of art. He rejoices over you with joyful songs.
Next:
How does the hope found in Jesus free us from the regrets of this life? What does it mean for you to be God’s masterpiece?
BearPair on February 16, 2017 at 5:39 am
Thanks for this great reminder Marlena!
Marlena Graves on February 16, 2017 at 6:44 pm
Thank you so much!
Gary Shultz on February 16, 2017 at 5:50 am
Hi Marlena: Well, If I may and since no one is here to stop me, I’ll drag this subject in a slightly different direction…..I think my wife and I have come to agreement about doing things in life. This is not to discourage anyone else, but I have taken on a new avenue of approach. You are correct, we will never achieve all we had hoped, we may never get to a “bucket list” and we have not reached our goals. It is the relationship, because it is not God’s intention for us to be here very long. It was not God’s intention for us to find complete satisfaction on earth. Should we live life to the fullest of course, but what is that, what does it mean? I think knowing what lays ahead helps me to at least grab a better focus. If while living here we enjoy what has been put on earth, that is a marvelous thing; however, goals, achievements, measurements of success, “bucket lists” belong to God, as this is the only time we have to invest for Him before heaven. Everything heavenly will dwarf what is on earth. Why spend life chasing, what is not the best when, as you have shown us, the relationship we establish on earth with God and man will be the only thing of value we take. Thanks Marlena
hsnpoor on February 16, 2017 at 11:56 am
Amen, BWO, Amen!
Marlena Graves on February 16, 2017 at 6:50 pm
Gary, I completely agree – we are to enjoy the life God has given us. We may not get to accomplish all that we want, but we are being made new. Thank you for being an encouragement to us all, Gary!
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 6:49 am
Happy birthday, Marlena! Depending on when you wrote this, it’s a very belated or a very early wish for you. 🙂 Wow…this is really beautiful…and very encouraging. It’s true that as time winds down for us we have to be careful to not let regrets skew our perspective on our lives. We can’t forget that we’re headed somewhere. That’s like driving with our eyes fixed on our rear view mirror instead of our windshield—not a wise move. I’d much rather see where I’m going and not where I’ve been. The glance back every now and then is important, but I don’t look back so much to see what I failed to do but more so to see what God has done. His faithfulness to me has been the overarching theme of my entire life. Because of that, I gladly surrender every disappointment and every broken dream to Him because it’s all a part of His plan for me. Psalm 138: 8 says, “The LORD will perfect everything that concerns me.” Hes been preparing me for “home” since my very beginning.My life has been His story all along and when He finishes it He will bring me home. And you know what? The epilogue is going to be grand!
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 7:06 am
Oops! I accidentally hit “Submit” before completing my thought. I just wanted to add a thanks to you for encouraging us to see ourselves with eyes of faith, Marlena. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3 : 2) A blessed day to everyone.
hsnpoor on February 16, 2017 at 12:15 pm
Absolutely brilliant analogy, GG, about driving with our eyes fixed on the rear view mirror instead of the windshield! That’s so vivid and puts the futility of regrets in proper perspective for people of God. I’ll be 64 this year and plan to retire next year (when good ole Medicare kicks in, if our government leaders don’t kick it out or shut it down), but I don’t intend to cease working. I’m working on a business plan with a friend, who is 14-years my junior, to open up a Soul Food restaurant in the area. Cooking is a passion for both of us and it’s a dream we’ve both shared for a long time. I’m also motivated by the fact that I don’t want to rely on the government to honor the “social security” I’ve purchased over the last 40+ years. Having this dream to look forward to fulfilling is great, but the blessed assurance of going up yonder to be with my Lord is the penultimate dream fulfillment! Thank you, Marlene, for a great devotion to ruminate on today and everyone else for sharing your pearls of wisdom, as well!
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 2:33 pm
What a wonderful venture, Kim! I pray that you see every bit of it come to fruition. For some reason I thought you were moving my way, but it looks like you’ll be bringing the south to Cali. You know, for us G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised In The South), eating Soul Food isn’t an option. Got my collards and black eyed peas on standby for today even as I write. 🙂 Blessings to you, sister!
hsnpoor on February 16, 2017 at 3:35 pm
No, you got it right GG, I do plan to move your way; Alabama, to be a bit more specific. But, that will just be my home base. I plan to do a LOT of couch surfing in California and I have no intention of being in Alabama during tornado season at all! The plan is to live like some of my wealthier clients who have “dual residences” in different states…:). I wish I could wear the G.R.I.T.S. appellation, but I was born in NY, raised in LA, but went to college in Atlanta. But, being African-American, you know my roots are planted in the South (S.C. on my Mom’s side and Alabama on my Dad’s side), so maybe I can be an honorary G.R.I.T.S.? Enjoy your collards & black-eye peas, which, btw, will be standard on our “sides” menu; although, I want those collards to become a “field mix” with collards, mustards & turnip greens cooked down with some fresh turnips on top!
Marlena Graves on February 16, 2017 at 6:53 pm
gagirllive, It will be so fun to see who we are and meet each other and hug and give thanks to God for all the beauty and goodness and all the sad things will come undone as Tolkien and Sally Lloyd-Jones say. You are right.
godlove on February 16, 2017 at 8:23 am
Thank you for this encouragement, Marlena. I’m not yet even half-way through to the age of seventy, but even without necessarily having actual regrets, I must admit that I had my own small list of life accomplishments which I thought I would have achieved by now, but which I now realise might take longer than I had anticipated. However, I take comfort from words of Scripture as in Proverbs 16:19 “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Therefore I harbour no regrets whatsoever, just thankfulness that God has brought me this far and keeps guiding me every step of the way, one day at a time. Blessings to all, with love.
godlove on February 16, 2017 at 8:26 am
Sorry, that passage should be Prov 16:9 instead.
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Thank you for this Proverb reference, godlove. Such a great reminder to us that all of our days are in His hands!
Marlena Graves on February 16, 2017 at 6:54 pm
Amen. Also, we have our plans but God might have other good plans for us.
ecclesiastes on February 16, 2017 at 9:14 am
God is with me/us, we are already god’s children. We will be whatever He wants us to be although my poor human brain is not able to comprehend what that might be. I do know that God left it until I was 75 before calling me to write a weekly blog of Christian reflections. So whether 7 or 70 God has work for us to do on this earth. Remember God has no hands but ours …..
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 2:43 pm
Your testimony here reminds me of Psalm 92: 14—“They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green.” May that be said of each of us! May the Lord continue to bless the work of your hands, ecclesiastes.
gagirllive on February 16, 2017 at 3:07 pm
Well, after flipping to that scripture, I feel like I should post the whole thought. Psalm 92: 13-14—“Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” Wow…so encouraged by that!
envirotact on February 16, 2017 at 9:23 am
Today’s Utmost for His Highest message from Oswald Chambers ties in perfectly with this Daily Journey message.
hsnpoor on February 16, 2017 at 12:17 pm
It sure does!
Marlena Graves on February 16, 2017 at 6:54 pm
I need to read it!