Life is a Mist

Living God’s Best for You

             In boasting about tomorrow James, the half brother of Jesus wrote, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, …carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15)

A key truth to grasp in living out God’s best for you is, “life is fragile”.  You have now to have a lasting impact on those you are called to influence.

While coaching the Washington Red Skins, Joe Gibbs was awakened to this truth when he received a phone call from his boss, Dan Snyder.  The call, “Sean Taylor, their superstar safety had been shot in the leg.” Sean was a Pro-Bowl player in 2006 and 2007.  The media said “Sean had the talent to become one of the greatest NFL safeties of all time.” Sports Illustrated name Sean as the hardest hitting NFL player. His teammates gave him the nickname, “Meast,” because they saw him as being part man and part beast.

          During their phone conversation, Joe asked, “How bad is it?”  He was thinking, “Shot in the leg, how bad can that be? Certainly, not life threatening.”  To Joes’ horror and the devastation of the whole team, Sean died the next day.

One year later as Joe was sitting in his office the incident of Sean Taylor still weighed heavily upon him. While doing business with a friend, Joe remembered George Tharel, a man who had a strong spiritual influence in his life.  George, who had died 17 years earlier, had taught Joe how to understand spiritual truths from God’s Word, truths he still lived by.  One year later, Joe thinks about the man who had taken him under his wing, taught him about the Lord’s truths enabling him to find and enjoy God’s best for him.

Life is a mist.  You have now to live a life that has a lasting effect on those around you. The Bible says you are living letters, “…known and read by everybody.” (2 Corinthians 3:2) Surround yourself with men who love the Lord and who can teach you the truths of God’s Word.  Become a person who teaches others the truths of God’s Word and point them to the Christ of the Bible.  You have now to affect others for Christ!