Time flies, and one day before you know it, you will be approaching the finish line of your life. And when that day comes, what will those who have been under the influence of you have to say about your life? What will they say about the thumbprint you have left on them? Sobering, isn’t it! Time flies—which means you ought to live now in the way you want to be remembered then.
Read: Psalm 144 // Focus: Psalm 144:4
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.”
David’s words are so true—and sobering, aren’t they. Time flies, life is fleeting, and before you know it, those who were once so alive and vibrant are now ambling toward the twilight of their lives. And on occasion, the saying, “here today, gone tomorrow” forcefully intrudes into your world with an unmistakable wakeup call that this is not only true of the people you know and love, it is true of you as well.
I had the privilege of spending a great deal of time under two men who were my spiritual mentors—Dr. Murray McLees and Dr, Charles Blair. They were both great leaders in their day, and their influence in my life has been nothing less than defining. In their prime, they were unequaled in visionary, courageous, innovative and skillful leadership. They were statesmen in their ministries. They did for the Kingdom of God what not many others have done. These men were spiritual giants—God’s generals—but when I served with them, they were approaching the finish line.
Watching them in their bell lap was a bittersweet experience for me: I was saddened by the reality that they were not what they once were, but was gladdened by the reward that certainly awaited them for running strong and finishing well the race that God had set before them. Looking back on the ups and downs, the victories and the defeats, the sorrows and joys of their long and illustrious careers, King David’s words at the end this psalm (Psalm 144L15) aptly sums up their lives:
Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
These were men of God, and they were blessed. And I am blessed to have their thumbprints all over my life.
But time flies, and one day before I know it, I will be where they were. And when that day comes, what will those who have been under my influence say about me? And what about you? What will they say about the thumbprint you have left on their lives? Sobering, isn’t it!
O Lord, teach us to number our days aright so that we might live them wisely! (Psalm 90:12)
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