Is Time On Your Side?

May 11th will mark my 68th birthday and I mention it because the title question is usually concerning a persons age or maybe a persons health. It can also be about biding time for an opportunity to get something wanted, needed, or even loved. There was a popular 1964 song depicting a girlfriend gone astray. The boyfriend opines he will wait for her to come back because “time is on his side”. In reality is time on your side?

Wants and Needs

I used to feel there was plenty of time to complete all the things on my agenda and there were quite a few items! Some things on our lists remain there until acquired but some lose their luster over time. As we grow and mature what seemed important in our teen years may not carry the same weight in our adulthood. That rad surfboard is not high on the list when you have kids to feed and a utility bill due. Our wish lists are always evolving. developing, maturing, ongoing.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “you can have almost anything you want in life, but you can’t have everything.” My first thought was “that’s just not fair!” Then I thought wow! if that’s true I need to refine my list. Mr. Rohn started me on the road to goal setting which is a whole other story my kids might fondly remember.

Life Is Short

What I can tell you with absolute certainty is: whatever you want to do with your life you best get at it. Time is not really on your side. Even at it’s longest life is short. The Bible tells us life here on earth is very short only as a vapor. Compared to eternity a hundred year lifespan is but a speck of dust.

Regrets

Looking back I guess most mature folk might see some things they would change if they could, maybe even a regret or two, but what would life be if we made no mistakes or have a single regret? I’ll never know, but there is one regret that stands out for me. There is one regret that towers above all others; I regret not becoming a Christian sooner. I know we should always look to the future and not live in the past. I’m not living there, but I can easily see how some events would have ended much better with the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Forgiven

You see, God fundamentally changed me so the old me is gone therefore I am renewed. Ephesians 4:22-24 I received the Holy Spirit who helps me make much better decisions. I could list the many, many bad decisions I made as a man left to my own devices, but my kids might read this blog post. Luckily I can take some comfort in my license plate which reads, “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven”.

And, you know maybe some young person might read this (yes it could happen). They might realize that now is the time to do something with their life and not keep thinking time will always be on their side. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us unless we do one thing: An eternity of tomorrows is promised to anyone who will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Then and only then will “Time Be On Your Side”.

Romans 10:9

 “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.“

John 3:16

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.