Live For What Matters

I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. Ecclesiastes 2:18

If you work harder you can earn more money, but you can’t earn more time. To coin a popular song, ‘Time may be money, but your money won’t buy time.’ There’s a story about a man who worked the late shift at a factory, who walked home in the wee hours. One night he took a shortcut through the cemetery. Failing to notice the new grave that had just been dug in the center of his path, he fell into it. After several unsuccessful attempts to get out, he decided to relax until morning when someone was around to help him. As he sat in the corner of the grave half asleep, a fellow traveler who had overindulged at the bar stumbled in beside him. Desperate to get out, the drunk started yelling and clawing frantically at the sides. At that point our hero reached out, touched him gently on the leg, and said, ‘It’s no use, friend, I’ve tried. You’ll never get out of here.’ Not surprisingly – he did! He jumped out! A periodic visit to the local cemetery might help you re-evaluate and reprioritize your life! For example, it might encourage you to stop and ask yourself what you’re really living for. Solomon had an ‘aha moment’ like that: ‘For though I do my work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave everything I gain to people who haven’t worked for it’ (paraphrased). A rut is simply a grave with the ends kicked out. Don’t just make a living; get out of your rut and make a difference. Don’t just leave an inheritance; leave a legacy that will enrich the lives of those who follow you.

Prayer