You don’t really know about tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for only a short while before it vanishes.
James 4:14
What would your life look like if you truly lived as if today were your last day? I would hope that my life wouldn’t look too differently. But if I am honest, I’m like most people. I usually fail to realize that we only have one chance to live each day, and shockingly most of humanity seems content to let those days past by us. We spend our days trapped on Netflix, and obsessed with social media. We are enraptured with seeking self-glorification, and so are blinded to the needs of others. If we were to live like this was our last day, I’m sure most of us would be spending time with loved ones and eating decadently.
BUT what if you lived like today was your last day to impact someone else’s life? When we realize that we have the ability to change other peoples’ lives, for good or for bad, it is a powerful knowledge. And then when we realize that we can impact someone’s life each and every day, but instead choose to tweet about celebrities, it appears like we’ve completely missed the point. Living for the people that we come across today, each and every day, changes so much about your life.
I get to experience this first hand while I am in India. My team is working for Sarah’s Covenant, Child Development Centers around Andhra Pradesh, India. Each day we go to a different village, to a different church, and different children and put on a program. We teach English, sing songs, play games, tell a bible story, and most importantly pray with the Christian families in the villages. Each day we unabashedly pour love into the lives of these strangers. Each day we share our lives with these precious children and eager adults. But each day we do this in full knowledge that we may very well never see any of these people ever again. The one evening we spend with them is all the time we get on this earth.
When I first heard that my team was changing villages each night for a month, my heart quailed. I wanted to build relationships with the children of one or two villages and make a huge impact in their lives. I thought it would be impossible to make an impact in a one night visit. But our ministry contact insisted that he wanted us to be able to bless as many villages as possible. My team has now been doing ministry here for about a week, and I think that I am starting to understand our contact’s point.
When I put my all into ministering to these villages, I know that I can make an impact no matter how short an amount of time. It takes dedication (and a lot of emotional energy) each day, but God is good. He gives me the strength I need to love like there is no tomorrow. Of course, if we really think about it we only need one day to impact someone’s life forever. Especially if you live for today, because, today is what counts and there is no tomorrow.
