Title: Life is not an exercise
Contents
Life is not a practice. (Psalm 90:1-12)
This is the story of a school that trains fashion models. The first words thrown at the academy to aspiring model students are, "This is your life. This is not a dress rehearsal." It's not about putting on clothes and practicing when you go out as a model, it's about knowing the best of your life and doing your best. The idea of practicing is to throw it away from the beginning. This should be the motto of Christian life as well as models. Since our life is only once, we must know that we must do our best.
Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small plane for the first time ever. When I asked what was the most difficult thing at that time, he replied that it was sleepiness. He said he was terribly drowsy and kept his eyes closed, but he was able to endure the drowsiness because of the seriousness of the death. So is our life. You can't sleep when you know that you only have one life. You can't go sideways. You will have to do your best to get to your destination.
Today's reading is a prayer for life written by Moses. Moses lived to be 120 years old, and we do not know exactly when he wrote this poem, but it is believed he wrote it near the end of his life. Moses' life was not an ordinary life. He is a person who has tasted the bitter and sweet taste of life. He is also a man of great achievements. There is something that Moses realized as he looked back on his life. "There is God's judgment in the last days. So, have the wisdom to count the days and live your best life." The fact is that life is not an exercise. What should I realize?
First, it is a life to return to when the time comes.
God is eternal, but man is finite. And life must turn. “Lord! You have been our dwelling place from generation to generation. Before the mountains were created, before the earth and the world were formed, from eternity to eternity, you are God. They have told you to go back." It is God's will that life turns around. Life is lived once, and when it's over, you have to go back. Life is a practice and cannot be relived. Life is finite. All human beings are bound to die. Death is an unavoidable path as night comes every day and spring comes every year. Every living thing always dies. Humans, both wicked and righteous, must die. In the face of death, all are equal. It may be a little early or it may be late, but everyone dies. But fortunately, death is not the end. God made life return to the eternal world.
The Bible describes death as returning to one's ancestors. Our ancestors died, but their souls are still alive. And with death, the soul leaves this world and joins the gathering of those who left earlier. The human soul is immortal. Life does not end with death, but returns to the eternal world.
It makes sense to express death as 'died' in Korea. Therefore, brothers and sisters, thank God for inviting us to eternal life beyond human finiteness. This is human hope. This is comforting to humans.
Second, time passes quickly.
You don't know how fast a lifetime is. Everyone says time passes quickly. Moses also sang about the passing of time. "A thousand years have passed in your sight, as yesterday, and as a watch in the night. You sweep them away like a flood. They are like a short slumber, like grass that sprouts in the morning. The grass blooms and grows in the morning. In the evening they are cut and marna."
Saints! Manage your time well so you don't miss an opportunity. Let's read and keep pace with the accelerating time. As the years go by faster, let's be more zealous. And I hope that you will become a saint who distinguishes between 'already' and 'not yet'. If it is 5 minutes before the end of the day, the person who is not cool will say, “It is already 5 minutes ago” and bring the bag. However, a person full of energy thinks, "There are still five minutes left," and finishes the task. Rather than thinking "I'm already 50", you should say "I can still work 20 years. I can work 30 years." There is no difference in the number of letters between already and yet, but there is a difference between heaven and earth in the mindset. Saints! I wish you a rewarding life with the wisdom of reading the years.
Third, the purpose of life must be clear.
What is the purpose of your life? Are you glorifying God? Please leave a legacy before God. Please pray for us to be used with dignity. Of course, it would be nice if you could leave an achievement in society too. I want to be used in a valuable way for the country as well. However, even if we do not leave great achievements in the world, let us leave achievements before God. That way you can live a life with less regrets.
Once upon a time, a king built a temple to honor his name. He devoted himself to the building work, leaving no one to help. And the beautiful temple was completed. And it was engraved with 'Amugae Memorial Church' after the king's name. But that night the king had a dream. In a dream, an angel came down and erased the name of the king and engraved the name of a person he did not know at all. He said he had this dream three times. After waking up from the dream, the king inquired and found the man. He was a very poor man. The king asked him what he had done to build the temple. The man trembled and said:
"I love the Lord. So I wanted to do something to build the church. But His Majesty told me not to do anything to the building of the church. I did nothing. I only grazing the horses carrying stones. There is not." It is said that the king had the man's name engraved instead of his own.
Saints! Make a mark in God's work, big or small. Leave your achievements for church growth as well. Other than that, make great achievements, whether it's community service or world missions. That way you can live a life with less regrets.
Our lives do not end only on this earth. At the end of our lives, we will stand before the judgment seat of God. Whether good or evil is judged by God. No one is independent of God's judgment.
Saints! Our life is a return to God. Also, time goes by so fast that a lifetime goes by in an instant. If you stumble, you will get a big nose injury. We must prepare the kingdom of God. Judgment must be prepared. Leave your achievements. Do what pleases God. I bless you in the name of the Lord that you may become a saint who is praised by God and receives eternal glory by living your life wisely.